Attitudes after unintended injury during treatment a survey of doctors and patients

To compare the attitudes of doctors and patients toward the disclosure of information after adverse medical events.

Cross-sectional questionnaire survey.

Ophthalmology department of an outer London hospital.

246 patients attending one ophthalmic outpatient clinic during a 5-week period and 48 ophthalmologists.

Proportion of each group who believed that patients should be informed about the occurrence of an adverse event and its potential future complications following elective ophthalmic surgery.

Most patients (226/246, 91.8%) believed that a patient should be informed of an adverse event. Fewer ophthalmologists (29/48, 60.5%, P<0.001; odds ratio 7.4 [95% CI 3.7-14.3]) shared this belief. The majority of patients (200/246, 88.5%) believed that a patient should be as fully informed as possible about the event and possible future complications, but this belief was shared by a minority of ophthalmologists (16/48, 33.3%, P<0.001; odds ratio 8.7 [95% CI 4.7-15.9]).

After an adverse medical event, there is a discrepancy between the amount of information that patients wish to be given and that which physicians feel is appropriate.