Parents' experience of giving consent for their child to undergo surgery

This study considered the experiences of parents giving consent for their children to undergo surgery at a regional centre for paediatric surgery. Eighteen purposively selected parents whose children had undergone surgery were interviewed for this qualitative study. All parents wanted to receive understandable but comprehensive information, they expected opportunities to ask questions and wanted to be given sufficient time to make their decision. Their reactions to being given the information varied, with some parents' anxiety levels increasing, while others felt re-assured. Most parents were willing to give their consent only once they had been convinced of the need for surgery. On the other hand, two parents wanted the surgeon to decide for them. Many parents also wanted to share the responsibility and give consent together. The main outcome of this study was that the parents' decisions and decision-making was more individualised than previously thought.