Parental presence at induction of anesthesia: perceptions of a pediatric surgical department before and after program implementation

Introduction: Parental presence at induction of general anesthesia (PPI) is highly desired by children and parents. However, it often faces resistance from medical personnel. We conducted a survey evaluating the perceptions of surgeons before and after establishment of a PPI program. Methods: Internal web-based surveys using Likert Scale questions were administered to all members of a pediatric surgical department before and after the introduction of PPI at a freestanding children's hospital. Pre and post results were compared by Wilcoxon rank-sum tests. A p-value ≤ 0.0026 was considered significant due to the Bonferroni correction. Results: The survey was sent to 59 surgeons 1 year before and 5 years after gradual implementation of PPI. Response rates were 46% and 54%, pre and post implementation, respectively. After implementation, there was a statistically significant increased level of agreement with the statement: “PPI improves the parents’ level of satisfaction” (p = 0.0025) and a statistically significant decreased level of agreement with the statement “PPI lengthens the duration of induction” (p = 0.0001). Before initiation, 56% wanted to see PPI implemented, while after implementation, 97% wanted PPI to remain. Conclusions: A majority of pediatric surgeons favored maintaining PPI after implementation. Resistance to initiation of PPI should not hinder implementation.