Surgeon-patient information disclosure practices in southwestern Nigeria

This study examined the practice of information disclosure to patients by surgeons in Nigeria.

A 55-item self-administered semi-structured questionnaire was sent to 150 surgeons in southwestern Nigeria in 2004-2005. The data obtained from the completed questionnaire were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

Of the 150 surgeons, 102 completed the questionnaire, giving a response rate of 68.0%. Of these 102, 85 (85.3%) were men, 44 (43.1%) were consultants and 55 (54.0%) were senior and junior surgical trainees. Most were from surgical subspecialties and obstetrics and gynecology. A documented policy statement about information disclosure was not available in most hospitals. A third, i.e. 35 (34.3%), of the surgeons did not routinely engage patients in discussions about disease diagnosis, management and prognosis. Most, i.e. 73 (71.6%), would rather disclose worsening disease progression to the patient's spouse. Others would disclose such information to the patient's children, family members or clergy. This was presumably to shield the patient from psychological distress. Only 22 (21.6%) of them routinely disclose operative findings to patients or their families. Thirty (29.4%) of them had been involved in disclosing medical errors to their patients in the past while 63 (61.8%) respondents did not know if surgical errors with potentially negative consequences should be disclosed.

Most of the surgeons in southwestern Nigeria did not routinely provide detailed information to patients about their illness and possible outcome of illness even in the presence of worsening disease progression and prognosis. When surgical errors with potential negative consequences occurred, the majority did not know if such errors should be disclosed.