More capacity in the pre-anaesthesia clinic

average duration of a premedication consultation

33.6 min

average patient waiting time in the clinic

58 min

patient education and counselling per patient

20–26 min

approximate cost of one minute of specialist time

€1.13

• →Paper forms are filled in on site and typed up afterwards.
• →Surgery and anaesthesia ask the same standard questions twice.
• →If previous findings are missing, laboratory tests, ECG or X-rays are often repeated as a precaution.

Sources: Kieninger et al., Anaesthesist 67, 93–108 (2018), prospective, 2,233 premedication consultations; Salzwedel et al., Anaesthesist 57, 546–554 (2008); Schuster et al., Anesthesiology 101, 1435–1443 (2004); Hierl et al., Die Unfallchirurgie 129, 111–122 (2026).

Also trunk blocks such as TAP and erector spinae plane block, paediatric anaesthesia, central venous catheter and transfusion.

• “medudoc is convincing: medical patient education and documentation become digital, visual and individually tailored to each patient.”

• “medudoc has understood where the real challenges lie in the anaesthesia outpatient clinic.”

• Law & regulation

  Telemedical consent discussion: the legal position for ASA I/II patients in Germany and Austria

  In Germany and Austria, the prevailing view holds that a fully telemedical consent discussion for patients in risk classes ASA I and ASA II before straightforward elective procedures is permissible, provided the relevant requirements are met. What is required is a genuine real-time conversation with a physician — by video or by telephone — with the opportunity to ask questions, the patient's agreement, timely delivery and documentation that stands up as evidence. A patient education video or a consent sheet alone does not replace this conversation. What changes is not the duty to hold the conversation, but its modality. A ruling by the highest courts specifically on video-assisted consent discussions is still pending in both countries — to that extent, the legal position is not conclusively settled.

  July 6, 2026 · 23 min read
• Articles & guides

  What does a pre-anaesthesia consultation really cost? A health economic calculation.

  From the hospital's perspective, a pre-anaesthesia consultation costs around €60 to €85 in full costs, with a range of €30 to €140 depending on the hospital and the case. If patients' time is included, the total societal costs amount to €130 to €180 per case. No systematic, published calculation of these costs exists in the German-speaking countries so far – the following model calculation closes this gap on the basis of current literature.

  July 27, 2026 · 11 min read
• Articles & guides

  One video instead of two appointments – combined vs. separate patient education for anaesthesia and surgery

  When a procedure requires both surgical and anaesthetic patient education, hospitals face an organisational question: are both combined in a single appointment or video, or do they remain two separate processes, each with its own signature? Both models are established in practice, and both can be justified clinically – the decision is not purely technical but concerns the allocation of responsibility between the specialties.

  September 21, 2026 · 5 min read

• Patient intakeAccess via QR code, website link or appointment confirmation – no app, no new password.Learn more
• Digital medical historyOne questionnaire for surgery and anaesthesia – adaptive, with medication by photo and upload of findings.Learn more
• Validation & risk assessmentRisk factors and key figures for each case, prepared for medical assessment.Learn more
• Patient education videoPersonalised patient education videos for each procedure, with subtitles and a reading version.Learn more
• Consent discussionOn site or telemedical – prepared by video and consent sheet.Learn more
• Premedication & handoverPremedication with fully prepared cases, followed by handover to the HIS via FHIR.Learn more