The Impact of the Use of Paddle Pagers on Family Member Anxiety During the Intraoperative Period

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to identify the effect of the use of paddle pagers (PPs) for intraoperative communication on family member anxiety.DesignA quasi-experimental design was used.MethodsThe setting was the ambulatory surgery waiting area in a metropolitan orthopaedic hospital. Subjects consisted of one family member per patient and their anxiety levels were assessed pre- and postoperatively using a visual analog scale. Subjects in the experimental group were provided with PPs and those in the control group received verbal communication, the standard of care. There were 60 family members in each group.FindingsMean anxiety scores were greater postoperatively. In the non-paddle pager group, the difference between the preoperative and postoperative anxiety scores was significant (P = .034), whereas in the PP group, the difference was not significant (P = .187).ConclusionThis modality may be helpful for individuals awaiting news about their family members' surgeries.