Knowledge, safety, and teamwork: a qualitative study on the experiences of anaesthesiologists and nurse anaesthetists working in the preanaesthesia assessment clinic

BACKGROUND: The preanaesthesia assessment clinic (PAC) has been shown to contribute to safe anaesthesia assessment in hospitals. In the PAC, patients are assessed with an interview and can also ask relevant questions about anaesthesia. The intention is to ensure that patients are comprehensively prepared for the surgery and hospital stay. Although earlier studies have assessed the effects of PAC, attitudes and satisfaction of the healthcare personnel working in PAC remain unknown. Thus, this study aimed to examine the experiences of anaesthesiologists and nurse anaesthetists working in PACs as well as to explore barriers and facilitators in this context. METHODS: A descriptive qualitative approach was used to explore the experiences of anaesthesiologists and nurse anaesthetists working in PACs. Thirteen semi-structured interviews were conducted using face-to-face, telephone, or digital platforms in five hospitals in west, south, and north Norway between 2020 and 2021. The interviews were transcribed and thematically analysed according to Braun and Clarke’s six-steps semantic reflexive analysis. RESULTS: Four themes and nine subthemes were identified through an active analysis process, including developing competence in clinical anaesthesia practice, identifying barriers and facilitators influencing collaboration and teamwork, improving patient safety and outcomes through structured assessment, and identifying other organisational factors affecting the delivery of healthcare to surgical patients. CONCLUSIONS: Working in the PAC contributed to competence development among the personnel. Additionally, teamwork was considered important for the proper functioning of the PAC. Patient safety was perceived as improved owning to the structured assessment in PAC, with patients getting the opportunity to improve their knowledge and being more involved in the upcoming anaesthesia. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12871-022-01852-w.