Enhancing Surgical Care in BC - British Columbia Medical Association

• “Once you are in the surgery receiving area, you are like a lab rat…[the staff] are busy, but…”
• “You’re put on the table with little attention to dignity… it’s no big deal to them, but that does not mean it’s no
big deal to me.”
• “I am a number: a bed, days in hospital, a surgery spot.”
The following are examples of things patients did to improve their influence/control of their experience:
• Brought alternatives to attention of surgeon and had good experiences of shared decision making/partnership.
• Took audio recorder and a partner to each consultation so information would not be missed (practitioners were
okay with this).
• Had questions written down in advance so key questions wouldn’t be forgotten.
• Negotiated with physician to be “allowed” to self-monitor and self-administer insulin while in hospital.
4. Anxiety and Fear vs. Safety and Security
The individuals in this focus group expressed a wide range of experiences resulting in various levels of anxiety and fear
or safety and security. Noted below are some suggestions to alleviate patients’ feelings of anxiety and fear:
• Create a culture in which patients’ concerns are valued and their special needs are respected and acted upon at
all stages of the perioperative process.
o “Staff should act in a way that respects the increased stress level of patients in the moments leading
up to and including surgery.”
o “If you have allergies or other complications, it is more scary because you know what can happen and
you can see when the staff aren’t listening to you.”
• Acknowledge the concerns of patients. Building a rapport based on respect is key to the patient feeling safe and
secure.
o “If the clinicians are dismissive of the patient’s special needs or other conditions, this increases the
patient’s stress and anxiety.”
o “Knowing that staff are responding to your needs gives reassurance they will continue to help.”
o “Hospital staff need to listen to your advocate.”
• Allow adequate time for in-depth pre-surgery consultations to address issues such as medication reconciliation,
pain management, or expectations for recovery. If the patient is feeling anxious about his or her surgery, or if the
patient is a “complex case,” this will go a long way to reducing the anxiety level.
o “If a patient is not adequately informed about what to expect, this can lead to extreme emotional
trauma and fear of further care or surgery.”
o “If patients are clear on what to expect, how to manage their pain, and who to call for help, they will
have much less fear and anxiety.”
Enhancing Surgical Care in BC – Appendix 42