Benefits of hand massage on anxiety in preoperative outpatient: A quasi-experimental study with pre- and post-tests

Context: Surgical patients experience procedure-related anxiety preoperatively. With delays and long waiting periods, surgical patients can experience increased anxiety and decreased satisfaction with their hospital visit. Main Objectives: To evaluate whether a 15-minute non-therapeutic hand massage provided by the Caring Hands massage volunteers would reduce anxiety levels, increase satisfaction, and decrease physiological parameters among preoperative surgical patients. Design: This research study has a quasi-experimental design, with control and intervention groups, and pre and post-tests. Setting: : This research study was conducted at Same Day Surgical Stations 53 and 63 at the Mayo Clinic Hospital, Methodist Campus, in Rochester Minnesota. Patients: One hundred and thirty-eight surgical outpatients were recruited preoperatively, with 31 participants in the control group and 107 in the intervention group. Interventions: Patients in the control group were asked to rest for 15 min. Patients in the intervention group received a 15-minute non-therapeutic hand massage administered by the Caring Hands massage volunteers from the Mayo Clinic Volunteer Program. Main Outcome Measures: Patient anxiety level and physiological parameters were measured and recorded before and after a resting session (control group) or a 15-minute non-therapeutic hand massage session (intervention group). Patients in the intervention group were also surveyed for satisfaction. The feasibility of incorporating a 15-minute non-therapeutic hand massage into the preoperative routine was also analyzed. Results: After receiving a 15-minute non-therapeutic hand massage, patients experienced reduced anxiety levels and increased satisfaction. It was also found that it is feasible to add a 15-minute non-therapeutic hand massage to the routine of a same-day surgical station.