Clinical trial Recruiting at 1 site Interventional Ages 18 and up

Understanding surgical worries before elective operations

Official title: Psychological Evaluation of Patients Undergoing Elective Surgery With Anxiety and Surgical Concerns: a Qualitative Interview Study

Run by University Hospital, Antwerp · NCT07158684 · Data updated 2026-11-12

This project uses a short semi-structured interview to see if identifying adults with high preoperative anxiety can help guide personalized care to reduce the risk of chronic post-surgical pain.

Quick facts

Study typeInterventional
Ages18 Years and up
SexAll
Enrollment30 (estimated)
SponsorUniversity Hospital, Antwerp
Academic / other
Locations1 site (Edegem, Antwerpen)
StatusRecruiting
StartedNovember 15, 2025
Main results expectedJuly 1, 2027
Study endsSeptember 1, 2027
Registry record updatedOctober 13, 2026
Trial IDNCT07158684 on ClinicalTrials.gov

Is this trial a fit for you?

Likely a good fit

Ideal candidates are Dutch-speaking adults (≥18) scheduled for elective surgery at Antwerp University Hospital who can use a tablet and score ≥11 on the APAIS anxiety subscale.

Probably not a fit

Patients unlikely to benefit include non–Dutch speakers, people with low preoperative anxiety scores, those undergoing diagnostic procedures requiring anesthesia (which are excluded), and emergency surgery patients.

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

Dutch-speaking adults scheduled for elective surgery at Antwerp University Hospital who score ≥11 on the APAIS anxiety subscale will complete a brief semi-structured interview on a tablet to describe their surgical concerns. The interview gathers detailed psychological and concern-related information that has been linked to later chronic post-surgical pain. Investigators plan to use these data to inform the development of individualized biopsychosocial care pathways and preventive policies. The work aims to translate early identification of a high-risk population into targeted pre- and post-operative support.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this could enable early identification of patients at high risk of chronic post-surgical pain and inform targeted, personalized pre- and post-operative support to lower that risk.

How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown that higher preoperative anxiety predicts chronic post-surgical pain, but using semi-structured interviews to create individualized biopsychosocial care pathways is relatively novel and not yet widely tested.

Who can join: the full rules

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

* ≥ 18 years old
* Dutch speaking
* With a planned elective surgery, at the Antwerp University Hospital
* Score of ≥ 11 on APAIS anxiety subscale
* Must be able to complete questions on a tablet (digital literacy)
* Signed informed consen (prescreening informed consent and study participation informed consent)

Exclusion Criteria:

* Diagnostic procedures requiring anaesthesia

Where it's running

  • University Hospital of Antwerp
    Edegem, Antwerpen, Belgium
    Recruiting

Study contacts

Similar studies

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How to take part

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Last reviewed 2026-11-14 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.