Informed consent in elective surgical procedures: "what do the patients think"?

Area of Science:

• Medical Ethics
• Patient Rights
• Healthcare Quality

Background:

• Informed consent is a cornerstone of ethical medical practice, ensuring patient autonomy.
• Understanding the patient's perspective on informed consent is crucial for improving healthcare delivery.
• Previous studies highlight variations in informed consent comprehension across different cultural and healthcare settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate patient understanding and satisfaction with the informed consent process.
• To identify factors influencing patient decision-making during informed consent.
• To assess the adequacy of the informed consent system in a tertiary care hospital.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 200 patients at a tertiary care teaching hospital in Islamabad.
• Data was collected via questionnaires administered by trained personnel between March and May 2008.
• Patients undergoing emergency surgery, minors, and medical professionals were excluded from the study. Data analysis involved frequencies and percentages using SPSS 14.

Main Results:

• While 98% of patients reported that informed consent was obtained, only 40.5% understood the information provided.
• Over half of the patients (56%) felt their decision was influenced by others, including the treating doctor.
• Significantly more patients were informed about the consequences of not having surgery (78%) than about potential surgical complications (48%).
• Despite poor comprehension, 93.5% of patients expressed satisfaction with the informed consent process.

Conclusions:

• A significant gap exists in patient understanding of informed consent and the overall system's adequacy in this setting.
• Patient satisfaction with the informed consent process remains high, despite limited comprehension.
• Cultural factors, particularly a shared family decision-making system, influence the informed consent process.