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.