Appendix 1. Search strategy for MEDLINE

1. exp surgical procedures operative/

2. exp specialties surgical/

3. exp "anesthesia and analgesia"/

4. exp postoperative complications/

5. (surg* or operati* or presurg* or postsurg* or perioperat* or preoperat* or postoperat* or an?esthe*).mp.

6. su.fs.

7. or/1‐6

8. anxiety/

9. exp fear/

10. stress psychological/

11. (anxious* or anxiet* or fear* or panic* or dread* or worry* or agitation or agitated or apprehensi* or nervous* or distress* or stress or stressed or stressful or psycholog* or catastrophiz* or catastrophis* or discomfort* or comfort* or pain or painful* or cope or coping).tw.

12. or/8‐11

13. health knowledge attitudes practice/

14. ((patient* or client*) and knowledge).tw.

15. patient satisfaction/

16. ((patient* or client*) and (satisfied or satisfaction)).tw.

17. "quality of life"/

18. quality of life.tw.

19. "length of stay"/

20. length of stay.tw.

21. or/13‐20

22. 12 or 21

23. 7 and 22

24. health education/

25. exp consumer health information/

26. patient education as topic/

27. counseling/

28. access to information/

29. communication/

30. health communication/

31. information dissemination/

32. exp teaching materials/ or videorecording/

33. pamphlets/

34. computer assisted instruction/

35. ((educat* or inform* or communicat* or instruct* or advis* or advice* or teach* or learn* or coach* or train*) adj5 (patient* or client*)).tw.

36. ((educat* or inform* or communicat* or instruct* or advis* or advice* or teach* or learn* or coach* or train* or written or print* or verbal or face‐to‐face or online or on‐line or web* or internet or computer* or video* or audio* or dvd or multimedia or multi‐media or telephone) adj3 (intervention* or session* or program* or material* or package* or provision or provid* or present* or deliver* or method* or process* or format*)).tw.

37. ((preoperative or pre‐operative or written or print* or verbal or face‐to‐face or online or on‐line or web* or internet or computer* or video* or audio* or dvd or multimedia or multi‐media or telephone) adj3 (informati* or education* or instruction* or training)).tw.

38. or/24‐37

39. 23 and 38

40. randomized controlled trial.pt.

41. controlled clinical trial.pt.

42. randomized.ab.

43. placebo.ab.

44. clinical trials as topic.sh.

45. randomly.ab.

46. trial.ti.

47. or/40‐46

48. exp animals/ not humans.sh.

49. 47 not 48

50. 39 and 49