Introduction: Upper gastrointestinal system endoscopy is a safe and widely used procedure for diagnosis and treatment purposes. Endoscopic procedures can be painful and uncomfortable and patient cooperation is very important for a successful result.
Anxiety and stress are common problem in patients who have to undergo an invasive medical procedure. Anxiety before upper gastrointestinal endoscopy may have adverse consequences and can sometimes hamper successful completion of the procedure. In routine practice, verbal or written communication is used to inform the patient. Mostly this information is focused on the procedure itself and its complications. Aim: To investigate the effect of showing an informative video or providing verbal group education on anxiety and intra procedural co-operation among the patients undergoing upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Material and methods: sixty gastrointestinal endoscopy patients were randomly assigned to video (20) or verbal information (20) groups or control (20) group. Patients in the video group watched a 7-minute-long video about the necessity of the endoscopic procedure, doctor and patient cooperation, and possible complications, emphasizing the possible feelings the patients might experience. The patients' situational anxiety was measured using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory’s two scales (STAI-State and STAI-Trait). During the procedure we evaluate the patient's co-operation degree by using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) with the doctors. Conclusions: It can be concluded that information by video helps reduce the anxiety of the patient, increases patient co-operation and the patient is much more readily convinced to undergo another procedure, in cases where a control is needed.
