Strategies for improving preoperative anxiety in older adult cataract patients: results of a study based on simulated nursing interventions in surgical scenarios.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether simulating the actual scene of surgery before phacoemulsifcation surgery is a strategy to alleviate perioperative anxiety and discomfort in older adult cataract patients.

METHODS: 100 cases of older adult cataract patients admitted to our hospital in 2024 were enrolled and divided into the control group and the experimental group by the digital parity method (a method of assigning participants to groups based on whether their assigned study number is odd or even) (50 cases per group). The two groups were evaluated for the preoperative 2-hour and postoperative anxiety (SAS) scores, the discomfort score, the satisfaction of patients and doctors, the operation time, the patient's degree of adaptability and the adverse events and complications during the operation.

RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the gender (p=0.398), age (p=0.481) and course of disease (p=0.476) of the two groups. There was a significant statistical difference (p<0.05) in anxiety scores between the experimental group and the control group before and after surgery. The preoperative anxiety scores in the control group and experimental group were significantly higher than those in the postoperative anxiety scores (p<0.05); The satisfaction scores of patients in the experimental group was higher than that in the control group (p<0.05); The intraoperative comfort scores of the experimental group patients was higher than that of the control group (p<0.05); The patient's degree of adaptability of the experimental group patients was higher than that of the control group (p<0.05); There was no significant statistical difference in the doctor's satisfaction scores between the experimental group and the control group (p>0.05); There was a significant statistical difference in the surgical duration between the experimental group of cataract patients and the control group (p<0.05). The main adverse event during surgery in the experimental and control groups was mild pain, with five patients in the control group experiencing mild pain and three patients in the experimental group experiencing mild pain, there was no significant difference between the two groups (p>0.05). None of the patients had intraoperative complications. All surgeries were completed.

CONCLUSIONS: The utilisation of nursing interventions adapted to simulated surgical scenarios can assist patients in becoming more familiar with the actual surgical environment and the procedures involved, thereby effectively reducing preoperative anxiety and fear. Furthermore, this approach can also result in enhanced intraoperative comfort, improved patient cooperation, and greater assurance of surgical safety. Additionally, it can lead to a reduction in postoperative anxiety and an increase in patient satisfaction.