Patient friendly operating room complexes: What can be done?

Primary objective of operating room complex (ORC) is to provide safe care, comfort and maximum benefit to the surgical patient. Stressful OR environment enhances the patient's anxiety level. Preoperative patients need emotional support as they have fear of unknown. ORC needs to be designed to offer a pleasant and friendly environment. Patient's safety should be given priority. Improving cost effectiveness along with providing best quality of care is a difficult task. Anesthesiologists and OR nurses play a major role in successful outcome and implementation of WHO surgical safety checklist. Stress will have more psychological impact on patients undergoing surgery under regional anesthesia. Pediatric patients will need distraction techniques in order to reduce preoperative anxiety and behavioral changes. Anesthesiologists and OR staff have a major responsibility to make the OR environment patient friendly by showing respect and empathy to every patient, maintenance of patient privacy, ambient OR temperature, strict aseptic measures, and avoiding unnecessary delays and postponement of cases.