Effects of Mobile-based Mindfulness Intervention to Reduce Preoperative Anxiety for Patients Undergoing Elective Surgery
Effects of Mobile-based Mindfulness Intervention to Reduce Preoperative Anxiety for Patients Undergoing Elective Surgery: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
Hospital Authority, Hong Kong
40 participants
Jun 13, 2025
INTERVENTIONAL
Conditions
Summary
This study is a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) conducted at Tin Shui Wai Hospital to evaluate the effectiveness of a mobile-based mindfulness intervention in reducing preoperative anxiety among patients scheduled for elective surgery. Aim: To determine if a 4-week mindfulness program delivered via a mobile app can reduce preoperative anxiety, compared to standard care. Design: Parallel-arm RCT with 40 participants (20 in each group). Participants are randomly assigned to either the intervention group (mobile-based mindfulness intervention + usual care) or control group (usual care only). The intervention uses a free and anonymous mindfulness mobile app developed by The University of Hong Kong. Primary Outcome: Preoperative anxiety level on the day of surgery, will be assessed using the STAI-S questionnaire. Secondary Outcomes: Postoperative pain levels, use of analgesics, emergency department revisit rate, and user satisfaction with the app. Data Collection: Anxiety levels are measured at baseline and before surgery. Pain levels and analgesic use are recorded postoperatively. Emergency visits and usability feedback are collected post-discharge. Significance: The study addresses a gap in evidence for mobile mindfulness interventions in Chinese surgical patients. Findings may support the integration of low-cost, app-based mindfulness into preoperative care.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria5
- adult (age\>= 18 years old)
- scheduled to undergo non-emergency surgery under general anesthesia (GA)
- use of smart phone
- able to understand the Chinese language and express their feelings sufficiently
- STAI-T score \>=40
Exclusion Criteria5
- unable to provide informed consent
- history or current treatment for psychological complaints
- serious physical or psychological co-morbidities
- hearing or vision impairment
- patients withdrawal from continuing to participate in the study
Interventions
Patients will be provided with usual care by surgeon, anesthetist and perioperative team, and they will be asked to install a validated mindfulness based mobile app during the PAS session. Orientation and teaching on the use of the mobile app will be carried out by research team. Return demonstration by patients will be performed at the end to ensure they are capable to use the app at home independently. A minimum of 4-week intervention duration with session lengths of 1 min, 3 days per week is set for this study. Patients will be distributed a dairy log to record the frequency and duration of mindfulness practice and submit to the researcher on the day of admission. Follow up on patient's progress through phone call or whatsapp will be provided by the researcher to ensure patient's adherence to the intervention on a bi-weekly basis.
Locations(1)
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NCT07005973