Patient perception of monetary value to avoiding unpleasant side effects of anesthesia and surgery

Study Objectives: To determine which monetary value patients place on decre asing or eliminating common side effects of anesthesia and surgery. Design: Prospective questionnaire with visual analog scales. Setting: Preoperative holding area of a tertiary care hospital. Patients: 60 adult patients scheduled for general anesthesia. Interventions: None. Measurements: Patients' perception of problems with previous general anesth etics and surgery and their concerns about the approaching surgery and anes thesia were recorded. Amounts (in US Dollars) that patients would be willin g to pay to decrease by half or to eliminate nausea, emesis, sore throat, h eadache, and pain were also noted. Results: 95% of the patients had previously undergone a general anesthetic, most without any problems. However, 47% of patients reported at least one problem with a previous general anesthetic, 33% had one or more concerns wi th the upcoming general anesthetic, and 32% would be willing to pay to decr ease or eliminate one or more of these side effects. Patients who were will ing to pay were more likely to have had problems or have concerns about sid e effects. Conclusions: Some patients would be willing to pay extra to avoid unpleasan t side effects. This information can be used in quality and satisfaction su rveys to justify to hospitals and payors the use of higher quality but more expensive anesthetic drugs. (C) 2000 by Elsevier Science Inc.