Patients’ Experiences of Patient-Controlled Sedation: An Interview Study of Patients who Underwent Endoscopy

Abstract

PurposePatient-controlled sedation (PCS) allows patients to self-administer sedative drugs during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). There is a paucity of research on the experiences of patients who used PCS. Therefore the purpose of this study was to describe the perioperative experiences of patients who used PCS during ERCP. DesignProspective study using semi-structured interviews. MethodsQualitative content analysis facilitated a latent understanding of the manifest content. FindingsEleven interviews revealed three main themes and underlying categories that summarized the patient experience: participation (control and perioperative sedation); communication (personnel, information, safety, insecurity, and concern); and sensation (effects and side effects). ConclusionsThe participatory experience of PCS resulted not from the opportunity for patient involvement but, rather, the establishment of a patient–professional relationship. Specifically, the interactions between patients and health care professionals played a vital role in the patients’ overall experience of PCS.