Factors affecting parental satisfaction following pediatric procedural sedation.

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To investigate factors affecting parental satisfaction with a pediatric sedation service in a university hospital setting.

DESIGN

Prospective, observational study with interviews using a survey instrument.

SETTING

Academic university hospital.

SUBJECTS

Parents (or legal guardians; hereafter "parents") of 220 children scheduled for sedation with the hospital's pediatric sedation service.

INTERVENTIONS AND MEASUREMENTS

Caregivers of children scheduled for sedation were interviewed using a validated survey instrument. The instrument was designed to investigate the quality of communication, environment, care provided, and the overall experience. We followed patients by telephone the day after discharge. Chi-square or linear-by-linear association tests were used to evaluate associations between satisfaction scores and demographic variables; the Mann-Whitney test was used for mean levels of satisfaction in anxious versus non-anxious children.

MAIN RESULTS

Of 222 parents approached, 220 agreed to participate (response rate = 99.1%). Significant associations between each area of satisfaction and parents' overall satisfaction existed (P < 0.001). Previous sedations, types of sedation, age of child, or any individual provider were not significantly associated with overall satisfaction. Caregivers of anxious children reported less satisfaction than caregivers of non-anxious children. Parents of children who underwent magnetic resonance imaging reported the lowest mean satisfaction scores.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall satisfaction was high, and care provided by anesthesiologists was significantly associated with overall satisfaction. A site in our institution was associated with significantly lower satisfaction as a result of inadequate space and privacy.