JOANI FRANCESCHI. Enhancing the Anesthesia Providers’ Awareness of Resources, Policies, & Procedures Surrounding Patients with Language Communication Barriers.
(Under the direction of DR. LUFEI YOUNG)
Background: Patients who have limited proficiency in English (LEP) face significant communication challenges in perioperative settings. These obstacles range from difficulties in understanding anesthesia-related information to obtaining informed consent. These language-based barriers result in a decreased quality of care, lower patient satisfaction, and a heightened risk of adverse healthcare outcomes.
Purpose: The goal of this study is to determine if a web-based educational program can enhance anesthesia providers' knowledge of available resources, policies, and procedures for LEP patients.
Methods: We conducted a quasi-experimental study with a pre- /post-test design. The study was conducted in a surgical center located in the southeastern region of the United States. A digital survey was given before and after the online education intervention. The effect of web-based education was examined by comparing the differences of the pre-and post-education survey scores.
Results: In this study, 40 participants were predominantly female (65%), including 87.5% CRNAs and 12.5% anesthesiologists. A significant improvement in knowledge was observed in the post-education survey score. The average number of correct answers increased from 3.78 (SD = 1.61) to 5.89 (SD = 0.84), t = 8.69, p < .001. Demographic factors did not significantly impact question accuracy at the pretest or posttest. These findings underscore the educational program's effectiveness in enhancing anesthesia providers' knowledge across diverse professional and demographic groups.
Conclusion: The web-based educational program significantly improved anesthesia providers' knowledge of resources, policies, and procedures for LEP patients.
Keywords: Limited English Proficiency (LEP), Anesthesia Providers, Web-Based Learning