Pre Anaesthesia Questionnaire Updates – August
There is a more recent update to our Preoperative Assessment form. To see the latest updates, please visit https://anaestheticgroup.com.au/preoperative-assessment-form-2024/ or try our Standard Plan’s Preoperative Assessment Form Demo here.
Updates to our Standard pre anaesthesia assessment form were made on 26th August 2022 (+ also on 4th November 2022). Minor changes were made to the wording, two new questions were added and redundant Covid isolation and restriction restrictions were removed.
Due to the fact that it’s the same questionnaire used by all Standard members, we are always reluctant to change it. However, the changes were proposed by a number of members and supported by others.
Try our Standard Plan’s Pre Anaesthesia Questionnaire Demo here.
You can see all the changes below, and why we felt they were necessary. As always, if you think something can be improved, please let us know. We love feedback.
The Changes
These changes are already up-and-running on our Standard Plan questionnaire – Demo here.
1. Update – Have you been unwell
Updated “Are you well at the moment?” to “Have you been unwell in the 4 weeks before your operation?”
Why? This change has been requested by members explaining that 4 weeks is of particular importance to the paediatric population
2. Update – Heart wording
Updated “Any trouble with your heart or cardiovascular system?” to “Any trouble with your heart or cardiovascular system, or have you ever been to a Cardiologist?”
Why? To capture patients who may have heart problems – this wording is based on a wonderful customisation by a Premium member (see examples of other Premium’s customisations here)
3. Add – Other conditions
Add “Do you have any other medical conditions not already mentioned?” + “If yes, please include as much detail as possible”. A description was then added in November 2022 to include examples of issues.
Why? Several members requested this question in order to pick up on behavioural conditions and the legal ability for the patient to consent
4. Update – Previous Procedures
Changed “Please include an approximate date and details of your recent procedures” to “Please include an approximate date and details of your recent and/or major procedures”
Why? A member requested this change because some patients have undergone major surgeries in the past, but they may not have been within what the patient considers to be a recent time period
5. Update – Relatives
Updated “Have any of your blood relatives ever had a problem with anaesthetics?” to “Have any of your blood relatives experienced a severe reaction to an anaesthetic?”
Why? Member request as patients were mentioning minor irrelevant problems their relatives had experienced
6. Update – Gastric Band
Added the word Gastic Band Surgery to the question: from “Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD), gastritis, oesophagitis, stomach or duodenal ulcers, hiatus hernia?” to “Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD), gastritis, oesophagitis, stomach or duodenal ulcers, hiatus hernia, or have you had gastric band surgery?”
Why? Although one of the options was always gastric band surgery, some patients missed answering yes to this initial question
7. Update – RA question
Changed “Rheumatoid arthritis?” to “Rheumatoid arthritis, connective tissue disease or any other musculoskeletal issues?”
Why? To capture patients who may have other issues – based on a customisation by a Premium member (see examples of other Premium’s customisations here)
8. Add – Cancer question
We have added a Cancer question = “Cancer?” + “If yes, please provide details including when and what treatment you received or are receiving?”
Why? In the past, we considered including this question, but member feedback was always indifferent. (We don’t like to add any extra questions or ask more than necessary as it will take the patient longer to complete the form). However, we heard from several members recently that patients who have been treated for cancer had been missed in the questionnaire, so we thought it was important to include it.
9. Update – Consent wording
Update “Do you give your consent for me to contact your other doctors if required?” (which then mentions “obtain test results” in the description) to “Do you give your consent for me to contact your other doctors and access your medical records if required?”
Why? Legal reasons. Although it always appeared in the description, it’s now in the copy you receive as well
10. Remove – Quarantine / Vaccine questions
Remove Coronavirus (COVID-19) Q “Please select your activities based on the past 14 days”
Remove Coronavirus (COVID-19) Q “Have you been asked to isolate / quarantine?”
Remove Coronavirus (COVID-19) Q “Have you received a COVID-19 vaccine?”
Why? Changes to government restrictions
Please note: the “Have you ever been diagnosed with COVID-19 or tested positive for Coronavirus?” section of questions remains
11. Update – Surgery to Operation
Updated the word “Surgery” to “Operation” throughout the questionnaire
Why? So that the wording is consistent
12. Update – Other doctors
Added the description “(if you haven’t already provided your GP and Specialist’s information earlier, please advise their name and phone number here)”
Why? Patient feedback. Several patients expressed confusion, stating they had already listed the information and were unsure if they had to do it again
13. Add Warning – Wrong DOB
Added a warning message to pop up if patient’s age is calculated at 0.
Why? Some patients were entering their operation date in their date of birth field, so we added this warning to allow them to correct it before submitting the form
14. Other small improvements
- Several updates including updates to Covid calculation (Days between Covid infection date and operation date) code
- Speed improvements
- Saving feature improvements
- Style changes
Changelog
26th August 2022 12:28am AEST
- Updated “Are you well at the moment?” > “Have you been unwell in the 4 weeks before your operation?”
- Updated the word “Surgery” to “Operation”
- Updated “Please include an approximate date and details of your recent procedures” > “Please include an approximate date and details of your recent and/or major procedures”
- Updated “Have any of your blood relatives ever had a problem with anaesthetics?” > “Have any of your blood relatives experienced a severe reaction to an anaesthetic?”
- Updated “Any trouble with your heart or cardiovascular system?” > “Any trouble with your heart or cardiovascular system, or have you ever been to a Cardiologist?”
- Updated “Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD), gastritis, oesophagitis, stomach or duodenal ulcers, hiatus hernia?” > “Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD), gastritis, oesophagitis, stomach or duodenal ulcers, hiatus hernia, or have you had gastric band surgery?”
- Updated “Rheumatoid arthritis?” > “Rheumatoid arthritis, connective tissue disease or any other musculoskeletal issues?”
- Add “Cancer?” question + “If yes, please provide details including when and what treatment you received or are receiving?”
- Update Description “Name and telephone numbers of your doctors (GPs and Specialists)” > Name and telephone numbers of your doctors (if you haven’t already provided your GP and Specialist’s information earlier, please advise their name and phone number here)
- Update “Do you give your consent for me to contact your other doctors if required?” (which then mentions “obtain test results” in the description) > “Do you give your consent for me to contact your other doctors and access your medical records if required?” so it appears on your Questionnaire too – Why? Safety
- Updates to Covid calculation (Days between Covid infection date and operation date) code
- Remove Coronavirus (COVID-19) Q “Please select your activities based on the past 14 days”
- Remove Coronavirus (COVID-19) Q “Have you been asked to isolate / quarantine?”
- Remove Coronavirus (COVID-19) Q “Have you received a COVID-19 vaccine?”
- Please note: the “Have you ever been diagnosed with COVID-19 or tested positive for Coronavirus?” section of questions remains
- Add “Do you have any other medical conditions not already mentioned?” + “If yes, please include as much detail as possible”
- Style Changes – box outlines
Extra Changes – 4th November 2022 9:33pm AEST
- Update Other health wording
- Add zero age warning
Your thoughts?
What do you think? As ever, if you have any ideas on how we can make the site work better for you and your patients, we’d love to hear them. Perhaps there’s something we can change on the pre anaesthesia questionnaire or something we could do that would make your life easier for preoperative assessment?
Or if you are looking to join us, why not try our Demo pre-op form here.
For Premium Plan members with customised forms, we can add this functionality to your forms too, if you like. Simply drop us a line, either by phone or email, and we’ll make these changes for you.
If there’s anything you think we’re missing, are doing well, or could do better, please do drop us a line. We’d really love to hear from you!
