Search engine queries as a metric of public interest in anesthesia

Much of the existing literature related to patient knowledge of anesthesia relies on single-institution clinical settings and traditional methodologies, which entail either surveying patients or observing encounters between patients and providers.1–2 Recent narrative reviews on informed consent in adult and pediatric perioperative settings reveal that the informed consent process often inadequately provides patients with a satisfactory understanding of the risks associated with various types of sedation.1–3 One way to ascertain population-level interest in health care interventions is through the use of search engine queries,4 which may provide insight into areas of health communication requiring increased attention. Overall, internet search terms can help anesthesia providers understand which aspects of anesthesia are most pertinent to the general population, which in turn may guide the informed consent process with patients. Reporting of this study conforms to the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines.5 This study of publicly available, de-identified data was deemed exempt for Institutional Review Board approval by Case Western Reserve University.