Knowledge regarding anesthesiologist and anesthesiology among patients and attendants attending a rural hospital of New Delhi

INTRODUCTION: Anesthesia has become one of the most advanced specialties in modern medicine with tremendous growth in knowledge and substances available for use. However, public awareness toward anesthesiologist and anesthesiology is limited. It is important for us to make people aware about the role played by an anesthesiologist in medical setup. The present study was conducted among patients and attendants to assess the knowledge regarding the anesthesiologist and anesthesiology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was carried out at a rural hospital of New Delhi, on 250 adult patients and attendants visiting outpatient departments to assess their knowledge regarding anesthesiologists and anesthesiology. An interview in their local language with the help of a prestructured questionnaire was carried out over a 3 month period. The participants on the basis of their answers were classified as aware or unaware. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 17. RESULTS: Most of the patients in our study were not aware of the role of anesthesiologists, their role in OT and postoperative period, and about anesthesiology as a separate discipline. They were aware of the general and regional anesthesia techniques. Only half of the participants had good knowledge (55.6%), and it was significantly associated with age, sex, and education (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: There is ignorance among the general population regarding the role played by anesthesiologists. We need newer initiatives for educating public and professionals for future progress.