Effectiveness of a Pre-Operative General Anesthesia Educational Video on Parents’ Knowledge and Anxiety

Purpose: This two-arm randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate if providing an educational video in addition to written and verbal pre-operative instructions about general anesthesia (GA) reduces caregivers’ anxiety and increases knowledge more than written/verbal instructions alone. Methods: Participants were recruited from a post-graduate pediatric dentistry clinic between August-December 2023. Inclusion criteria were English- or Spanish-speaking caregivers of healthy children aged 3-6 years receiving dental treatment under GA. All caregivers completed a baseline questionnaire and the Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale (APAIS) at the pre-operative visit. Participants were randomized to receive intervention (eight-minute educational video in addition to written and verbal instructions) or control (written and verbal instructions only). A follow-up questionnaire was administered on the day of GA to re-assess knowledge and anxiety. Results: Fifty-five caregivers were recruited, and 30 are included in preliminary analysis (17 intervention, 13 controls). Twelve were excluded or lost to follow-up, and 13 are awaiting their child’s GA. Caregivers were mean age 32.8 years (SD=7.2), 83% female, 50% Hispanic, with 40% having a high school education or less. Children were 4.6 years (SD=0.97), 66% female, and 97% Medicaid-enrolled. APAIS anxiety scores decreased significantly in the intervention group (P=0.007), but not the control group (P=0.10). Both groups had insignificant increased knowledge scores, and there was no significant difference between the two groups. Conclusions: An educational pre-operative video was effective in reducing caregivers’ anxiety about GA, but the variability in video watching frequency/behavior by intervention participants might have impacted its overall effectiveness in improving knowledge.