Machine-Based Hand Massage Ameliorates Preoperative Anxiety in Patients Awaiting Ambulatory Surgery.

Only adults waiting for same-day ambulatory surgery under local anesthesia were included, so the findings may not apply to other surgical settings or patients who cannot complete a questionnaire. Patients with catastrophic illness cards, mental illness, malignant tumors, or scheduled hand surgery were excluded, so the findings do not apply to those groups. Staff who provided routine care were not blinded to group assignment, so expectations or extra attention may have influenced self-reported anxiety. The study did not compare machine hand massage with nurse-administered hand massage, so it cannot say which is better for preoperative anxiety. The groups differed in working status at baseline, which may affect anxiety. The trial was conducted in one hospital in Taiwan, so transferability to other health systems is uncertain.

Do not conclude that machine hand massage improves vital signs or replaces nurse-administered hand massage. The study found no significant between-group differences in mean changes in pulse, respiration rate, systolic pressure, or diastolic pressure, and it did not compare machine hand massage with nurse-administered hand massage.