This study investigates whether structured communication about artificial intelligence (AI) in perioperative care can reduce preoperative anxiety and improve perceived control among adult patients undergoing elective surgery.

As AI-supported tools become more common in healthcare, patients may feel uncertain about how these technologies relate to their care, whether they influence clinical decisions, and whether healthcare professionals remain responsible for final decision-making. Such uncertainty may contribute to anxiety before surgery and may reduce patients' sense of control.

In this attention-controlled randomized trial, adult patients scheduled for elective surgery will be assigned to one of two groups. The attention-control group will receive standard preoperative information plus a time-matched general supportive nurse-patient communication session. The intervention group will receive standard preoperative information plus a structured, non-technical communication protocol about AI in perioperative care. The protocol will explain the supportive role of AI, emphasize human clinical oversight, address AI-related uncertainty, and help patients understand that general information about AI must be interpreted in relation to their individual clinical situation.

Preoperative anxiety, perceived control, AI-related uncertainty, information clarity, and trust in the clinical team will be assessed using structured questionnaires. The study does not test or evaluate any AI software, medical device, imaging system, or diagnostic technology. Instead, it focuses on whether structured communication about AI-related uncertainty can improve psychological preparedness before surgery.

The findings may help inform practical, transparent, and patient-centered communication strategies for discussing AI-supported healthcare technologies in perioperative settings.

Artificial intelligence (AI)-supported tools are increasingly discussed and implemented across healthcare, including perioperative care. Although the technical performance and clinical applications of AI systems have been widely studied, less attention has been given to how patients understand and psychologically respond to information about AI-supported healthcare technologies. Patients may be uncertain about the role of AI, whether it replaces or supports clinical judgment, how human oversight is maintained, and how general information about AI applies to their own care.

Preoperative anxiety is common among surgical patients and may be influenced by uncertainty, limited understanding of care processes, and difficulty interpreting health-related information. Perceived control may help patients cope with uncertainty by improving their ability to understand what is happening, how care decisions are guided, and how general information relates to their individual clinical context. Structured communication may therefore be a feasible strategy to reduce AI-related uncertainty, improve perceived control, and support psychological preparedness before surgery.

This single-center, two-arm, attention-controlled randomized trial will evaluate the effects of structured communication about AI in perioperative care on preoperative anxiety and perceived control among adult patients scheduled for elective surgery. A total of 120 participants will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to either an attention-control group or an intervention group.

Participants in the attention-control group will receive standard preoperative information plus a time-matched general supportive nurse-patient communication session. This session will be similar in duration to the intervention session and will focus on general preoperative support and routine patient questions. It will not include structured content about artificial intelligence, AI-related uncertainty, human oversight of AI-supported systems, or technology-related decision support.

Participants in the intervention group will receive standard preoperative information plus a structured AI communication protocol delivered face-to-face by a trained nurse. The protocol will use clear, non-technical, patient-centered language and will explain the supportive role of AI in healthcare, emphasize that clinical decisions remain under professional human oversight, address uncertainty related to AI-supported technologies, contextualize general AI-related information for the individual patient, and encourage patient questions.

The intervention does not involve the use, testing, or evaluation of any AI software, medical device, imaging system, or diagnostic technology. The study does not assess the diagnostic accuracy, technical performance, or clinical effectiveness of AI-supported systems. Instead, it evaluates the psychological and communication-related effects of structured explanation about AI in perioperative care.

Preoperative anxiety will be assessed using the Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale. Perceived control, AI-related uncertainty, information clarity, trust in the clinical team, and baseline eHealth literacy will also be assessed using structured questionnaires. Outcomes will be measured at baseline before randomization and after the communication session before surgery. Statistical analyses will compare post-communication outcomes between groups while accounting for baseline values where applicable.

This study aims to inform patient-centered and ethically responsible communication strategies for discussing AI-supported technologies in perioperative care.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adults aged 18 to 65 years.
• Scheduled for elective surgical procedures.
• Able to communicate in Turkish.
• At least primary school literacy.
• Able and willing to provide written informed consent.
• Able to complete self-report questionnaires before surgery.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Emergency surgical procedures.
• Known diagnosis of psychiatric disorder.
• Current use of anxiolytic or antidepressant medications.
• Cognitive impairment or communication barriers that may interfere with study participation.
• American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status classification of IV or higher.
• Severe visual or hearing impairment that prevents participation in the communication session or completion of questionnaires.
• Previous participation in this study.

Individual participant data will not be shared because the study includes sensitive psychological outcome data and a relatively small single-center sample, which may increase the risk of participant re-identification. De-identified aggregate results will be reported in publications and trial results summaries.

Participants and intervention providers cannot be masked because of the communication-based nature of the intervention. Post-communication outcome questionnaires will be self-administered, and outcome data will be collected by research staff not involved in intervention delivery. Statistical analyses will be performed by an independent analyst blinded to group allocation, with groups coded before analysis.