An audit of parental satisfaction of pediatric day case surgery at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital

• Main Authors: Olumide A Elebute, Adesoji O Ademuyiwa, Justina O Seyi-olajide, Christopher O Bode
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2014-01-01
• Series: Journal of Clinical Sciences
• Subjects: Day case surgery; parental satisfaction; pediatric
• Online Access: http://www.jcsjournal.org/article.asp?issn=2468-6859;year=2014;volume=11;issue=2;spage=44;epage=46;aulast=Elebute

Background: In recent past, there has been a gradual increase in the volume of patients treated on a day case basis in our center. However, no study has been conducted to audit pediatric day case surgery practice at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital. Objectives: To determine the level of parental satisfaction with pediatric day case surgery at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital. Patients and Methods: A total of 101 parents or the patient′s caretakers whose wards had day case surgery were administered a self-completed questionnaire on the first postoperative day visit at the surgical outpatient clinic. The questions assessed parental satisfaction with the following: (a) Communication with doctors (surgeons and anesthesiologists), (b) Physical conditions of the theatre environment, (c) Staff′s care, (d) Need to care for the child at home, and (e) Postoperative complication. Result: There were 101 respondents with an age range of 22-56 years (mean 35.05 ± 6.85). Eighty-seven (86%) of the respondents were satisfied with the amount of information they obtained from their doctors before the operation; 43 (42.6%) were satisfied with the waiting time, whereas 47 (46.5%) were satisfied with the fasting time. However, 26 (25.7%) of the respondents were dissatisfied with the waiting room environment and 87 parents (87.1%) were dissatisfied with the nursing care. Conclusion: Most parents are satisfied with pediatric day case surgery care. Some adjustments, however, need to be made on reducing the waiting and fasting time of the patients and improving both the waiting room environment and the nursing care in order to increase its acceptance.