A survey of patients’ perceptions of difficult airway alert cards in the UK

Abstract Background Effective communication between anaesthetists is an important way of ensuring adequate management plans are made for patients with known difficult airways. The Difficult Airway Society developed an electronic database to facilitate this. Previous studies have surveyed attitudes and behaviours of anaesthetists and primary care physicians but not patients. Aim We sought opinions of patients who received a difficult airway database alert card (signifying their pre-consented registration) on a variety of topics. Methods We asked 10 questions regarding i) Quality of information received, ii) Views on the relevance of the alert card, iii) patient’s overall experience, iv) their opinion regarding paying a fee. Results All 402 patients on the database were contacted once (follow-up curtailed by COVID-19). We received 221 replies (55%). Ninety-seven percent (205/211) reported the card useful, 90% (191/211) recalling the information given. All those (49/203, 24%) having a further anaesthetic had presented their card to the anaesthetist/preoperative team. 6% (13/203) felt anxious having the card and almost one fifth (12/67) of the respondents suggested improved communication between anaesthetists, patients and primary care physicians (GPs). Half of responders were willing to pay for the service, while 17% (36/211) were not. Conclusion Difficult airway alert cards are well received by the patients and are re-presented when future anaesthetics are required. Improved transfer of information between anaesthetists, primary care physicians and patients was a popular theme in the feedback. The issuing of an airway alert card may prove to be a vehicle for this in the future.