Almutairi Nehal G, Alorainy Mohammad H, Aldayel Abdulrahman M, Alotaibi Haifa A, Alkathami Sultan A, Alghamdi Waleed A
Medicine, College of Medicine, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, SAU.
Anesthesiology, College of Medicine, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, SAU.
Cureus. 2023 Aug 28;15(8):e44265. doi: 10.7759/cureus.44265. eCollection 2023 Aug.
Despite improvements in anesthesia practice, there is still a lack of public awareness of the field, the range of an anesthesiologist's duties, and the crucial role they play in the healthcare delivery system. Thus, this study aimed to assess Saudi citizens' perceptions of anesthesiologists' training, expertise, role, and responsibilities, as well as their knowledge and concerns about anesthesia.
A cross-sectional study was conducted between December 2022 and April 2023, with a 42-question survey administered to 406 adult Saudi citizens of both genders residing in Saudi Arabia, excluding healthcare students and employees.
Most participants were female (82.8%), aged over 40 (67.6%), held a bachelor's degree (74.6%), and reported very good health (38.7%). A majority (67.2%) had at least undergone one or more surgeries. Knowledge scores averaged 8.14 ± 2.35/14, distributed as 20% poor, 67.7% moderate, and 12.3% good. Perception scores averaged 3.25 ± 1.59/7, with 55.2% poor, 38.2% moderate, and 6.7% good. A significant positive correlation between perception and knowledge scores was found. Higher perception scores were associated with having a chronic medical condition, while higher knowledge scores were associated with being female and having undergone more surgeries. Anesthesiologists were recognized as specially trained doctors by 79.8% of participants, and 63.8% trusted physicians for care. However, 22.4% refused care. Notably, the most common anesthesia concern was fear of dying during anesthesia (very concerned: 26.6%).
This study reveals knowledge gaps and misconceptions about an anesthesiologist's role and responsibilities, highlighting the need for public education to address concerns, improve patient satisfaction, and inform future research.
尽管麻醉实践有所改进，但公众对该领域、麻醉医生的职责范围以及他们在医疗保健提供系统中所起的关键作用仍缺乏了解。因此，本研究旨在评估沙特公民对麻醉医生的培训、专业知识、角色和责任的看法，以及他们对麻醉的了解和担忧。
2022年12月至2023年4月进行了一项横断面研究，对居住在沙特阿拉伯的406名成年沙特公民（不分性别）进行了一项包含42个问题的调查，不包括医学生和医疗员工。
大多数参与者为女性（82.8%），年龄超过40岁（67.6%），拥有学士学位（74.6%），并报告健康状况非常好（38.7%）。大多数（67.2%）至少接受过一次或多次手术。知识得分平均为8.14 ± 2.35/14，分布情况为20%差、67.7%中等、12.3%良好。认知得分平均为3.25 ± 1.59/7，其中55.2%差、38.2%中等、6.7%良好。发现认知得分与知识得分之间存在显著正相关。较高的认知得分与患有慢性疾病有关，而较高的知识得分与女性以及接受过更多手术有关。79.8%的参与者认可麻醉医生是经过专门培训的医生，63.8%信任医生进行治疗。然而，22.4%的人拒绝接受治疗。值得注意的是，最常见的麻醉担忧是害怕在麻醉期间死亡（非常担忧：26.6%）。
本研究揭示了关于麻醉医生角色和责任的知识差距和误解，强调需要进行公众教育以解决担忧、提高患者满意度并为未来研究提供信息。
