Children undergoing anesthesia are often very frightened by the experience. This can lead to bed wetting, nightmares and stranger anxiety that can last for weeks. Moreover, this can influence their future experiences with anesthesia and surgery. The investigators believe the presence of a parent via video might work better as parental fear is not transferred to the child. The investigators also believe that parents who are coached on how to assist their child during anesthesia will have a better impact. As such the investigators are carrying out this study to assess whether parents who are coached and are present in either video or physical form will be more effective in reducing anxiety at induction of anesthesia.
The investigators' goal in this study is to investigate the effects of virtual parental presence and coaching of parents on anxiety in children at induction of anesthesia. The primary hypothesis is virtual parental presence during induction of anesthesia is superior to physical parental presence during induction of anesthesia in reducing anxiety in children at induction of anesthesia. The secondary hypothesis is that the coaching of parents modulates the effect of physical or video parental presence at induction anesthesia on children's anxiety.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
OTHER
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
44
Parent is present via an internet pad (iPad)
Parent learns what to say verbally to soothe child
Parent is present in the operating room
Parent does not learn what to say verbally to soothe child
The Hospital for Sick Children
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Anxiety in children
measured using the modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale (mYPAS)
Time frame: Day of surgery, immediately following consent
Change in child anxiety
measured using the modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale (mYPAS)
Time frame: Day of surgery, immediately preceding surgery
Induction compliance
measured using the Induction Compliance Checklist
Time frame: Day of surgery, immediately preceding surgery
Child temperament
measured using the Emotionality Activity Sociability Impulsivity Instrument of Child Temperament (EASI)
Time frame: Day of surgery, immediately following consent
Parental anxiety
measured using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)
Time frame: Day of surgery, immediately following consent
Change in parental anxiety
measured using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)
Time frame: Day of surgery, immediately preceding surgery
Parental satisfaction
measured using The Hospital for Sick Children satisfaction questionnaire
Time frame: Day of surgery, five minutes after surgery has commenced
Anesthesiologist satisfaction with task load
measured using the NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX)
Time frame: Day of surgery, immediately following surgery
Anesthesiologist satisfaction with technology usability
measured using the System Usability Scale (SUS)
Time frame: Day of surgery, immediately following surgery
Induction nurse satisfaction with task load
measured using the NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX)
Time frame: Day of surgery, immediately following surgery
Induction nurse satisfaction with technology usability
measured using the System Usability Scale (SUS)
Time frame: Day of surgery, immediately following surgery
Anesthetic requirements
measurement includes recording dose of anesthetic(s) used
Time frame: Day of surgery, intra-operatively
Anesthetic requirements
includes recording dose of anesthetic(s) used on a data collection form
Time frame: Day of surgery, from time of randomisation up to 4 hours afterwards
Post-hospitalization negative behaviours
measured using the Posthospitalization Behaviour Questionnaire (PHBQ)
Time frame: Two to three days after surgery
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