• J-H Schiff, N Russ, K Ihringer, C Heal, E Martin, and A Walther.
• Department of Anaesthesiology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
• Br J Anaesth. 2011 Jan 1;106(1):88-95.

BackgroundOpinions about satisfaction with care are rarely obtained from children and few studies of this type exist in the area of paediatric anaesthesia. In this study, we developed a comprehensive self-administered questionnaire to measure the level of paediatric and, as a substitute in younger children, parental satisfaction with anaesthesia. In addition, we aimed to identify factors influencing satisfaction and compare results between hospitals.MethodsWe followed a rigorous protocol including construction of a pilot questionnaire and qualitative and quantitative analysis. The questionnaire was adapted for confounding variables. We analysed satisfied and dissatisfied groups and compared satisfaction scores between participating hospitals.ResultsA questionnaire was developed which comprised 37 questions assessed on a five-point Likert scale. With a response rate of 71%, a total of 1052 patients completed the questionnaire. In the final analysis, 760 questionnaires (72%) were included. Most questionnaires were answered by the parents [705 (92.8%)]. The mean age of children was 6.7 (4.97) yr. Multivariate analysis found a history of previous anaesthetic problems and the identity of the person answering the questionnaire as influencing factors on the sum score. The most important differences between satisfied and dissatisfied children were found for the dimensions 'privacy and waiting', 'information giving', and 'discomfort'. Scores differed between hospitals.ConclusionsOur psychometric questionnaire provides a novel approach to paediatric patient satisfaction with anaesthesia care and covers areas deemed important by children, parents, and carers. Significant differences between satisfied and dissatisfied groups and between participating hospitals were found.

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