Effects of preoperative individualized audiovisual education on anxiety and comfort in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy: randomised controlled study

Abstract

Objective: The study aimed to determine the effects of preoperative individualized audiovisual education for laparoscopic cholecystectomy patients on postoperative anxiety and comfort (pain, nausea, and vomiting). Method: This study was a randomized clinical trial on 124 patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Patients were randomized into an intervention group (individualized audiovisual education) or a control group (standard education). The primary outcome was change in anxiety and comfort levels between the intervention and control groups at baseline and follow-up. Secondary outcomes were change between groups in Patient Learning Needs Scale scores and vital signs. Results: Although the preoperative visual analog scale (VAS)-pain and VAS-nausea scores of the patients in both groups were similar, the postoperative VAS-pain and VAS-nausea levels of the intervention group were significantly lower than that of the control group (p < 0.05). The anxiety levels of the intervention group were also lower both before (42.79 ± 4.29) and after (39.08 ± 3.49) surgery than that of the control group (50.98 ± 5.45 and 44.41 ± 4.77, respectively). Conclusion: This study showed that preoperative individualized audiovisual education was effective in reducing anxiety and improving patient comfort. Practice implications: Preoperative individualized audiovisual education is crucial for clinical care and can be integrated into other patients because of its positive effects on postoperative recovery outcomes. © 2020 Elsevier B.V.