Maria Tsoutsou:
Risk Communication in Perioperative Medicine: Discussing the Questionnaire Feedback

Perioperative medicine covers the full range of a patients experience through treatment, from contemplation of surgery to full recovery. Communicating the risks present throughout this period is necessary to keep the patient informed and to manage anxiety and expectations. A questionnaire was sent to anaesthetists working at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital asking them about the difficulties of communicating risks, and the perception of risk calculators and risk communication tools. This meeting will cover the findings of this questionnaire based on 38 responses. The aim is to develop a theme around which a subsequent meeting on 9th October can be based, which could address concerns and ideas raised from the questionnaire feedback. This could lead to further research projects, but should also serve to inform both anaesthetists and risk analysts about the intricacies of risk communication in perioperative medicine.

Dr. Maria Tsoutsou is a Clinical Fellow in perioperative medicine and anaesthesia at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital.