Telephone: 075844392912 Abstract Purpose To assess whether a cataract surgery patient-information video reduces patients' preoperative anxiety levels. SettingLeeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, UK. Design 3Prospective controlled trial of an intervention to reduce anxiety for first eye elective cataract surgery patients. MethodsA total of 200 patients attending for first eye elective cataract surgery were included in the study. The primary outcome measure was a questionnaire based upon the Amsterdam Pre-operative Anxiety and Information Score (APAIS), and a 80mm Visual Analogue Score (VAS). The questionnaire was administered to a control group of 100 consecutive pre-operative cataract surgery patients who had not seen the information video. Subsequently, the video was introduced to the surgical pathway and the questionnaire was administered pre-operatively to an intervention group of 100 consecutive patients who had watched the video.4 ResultsThere was a significant difference in mean VAS anxiety scores between the control 45.5mm ± 21.4mm [SD] and intervention group 11.2mm ± 11.4mm (p< 0.001). On a 5stage Likert scale, responses to the APAIS statement "I am worried about the procedure" (range 1 = not at all to 5 = extremely worried) also showed that the control group patients were significantly more worried than the intervention group (p<0.001). The mode response score was 3 in the control group, compared to 1 in the intervention group. ConclusionsThe patient information video prior to cataract surgery was a cheap and effective intervention in reducing pre-operative anxiety. Such interventions could improve overall patient experience of cataract surgery.