Roberts, Simon

Spain, Brian

Hicks, Chelsea

London, James

Tay, Stanley

2015-06-01

We investigated patient perceptions of a virtual preoperative anaesthesia evaluation clinic linking Royal Darwin Hospital to Katherine Hospital. Descriptive study, cross-sectional survey. Regional and rural areas of Northern Territory, Australia. Sample includes 27 respondents, five Indigenous, 18 non-Indigenous and four unknown. Introduction of a preoperative anaesthesia evaluation clinic. We designed a 10-item, 5-point Likert scale questionnaire assessing patient perceptions in four domains: (i) technical quality; (ii) perceived efficacy; (iii) affective patient experience; and (iv) patient preference. Qualitative responses are also reported. Twenty-seven out of 35 patients (77%) completed the questionnaire. Ninety-eight per cent were in positive agreement on technical quality with a mean score of 1.35 (SD: 0.53); Ninety-five per cent on perceived efficacy, 1.35 (SD: 0.65); Eighty-four per cent in negative agreement on affective patient experience (negative perception item), 4.19 (SD: 1.07); Eighty-one per cent in negative agreement on patient preference (negative perception item), 4.23 (SD: 1.14). There were no significant differences in the answers between Indigenous (five patients) and non-Indigenous patients (18 patients). Our study confirms the acceptability of telemedicine in the remote assessment of preoperative patients in the Northern Territory, with positive perceptions in all four domains.

Department of Anaesthesia, Royal Darwin Hospital, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia..

Department of Anaesthesia, Royal Darwin Hospital, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia..

Department of Anaesthesia, Royal Darwin Hospital, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia..

Department of Anaesthesia, Royal Darwin Hospital, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia..

Department of Anaesthesia, Royal Darwin Hospital, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia..

Aust J Rural Health . 2015 Jun;23(3):136-41. doi: 10.1111/ajr.12140. Epub 2015 Jan 23.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25615954/?otool=iaurydwlib

https://hdl.handle.net/10137/5520

Indigenous health

health service evaluation

preoperative assessment

telemedicine evaluation

video conference

Cross-Sectional Studies

Health Services, Indigenous

Humans

Northern Territory

Patients

Surveys and Questionnaires

Ambulatory Care Facilities

Anesthetics

Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice

Preoperative Period

Telemedicine

Telemedicine in the Northern Territory: an assessment of patient perceptions in the preoperative anaesthetic clinic.

Journal Article

Publication