Consenting Practice of ENT Trainees: To What Extent Is Trainee Involvement Disclosed?

To assess to what extent ENT trainees disclose their involvement in operations to their patients when obtaining consent.

It is not clear how the trainees are conducting the consenting process, although it could lead to a medico-legal conflict.

A 6-question questionnaire was sent via email to 22 ENT trainees in Northern Deanery, and 14 ENT registrars in Yorkshire Deanery.

Seniority of the participants. Disclosure of the main operating surgeon and trainee involvement in the consenting process. Influence of operation complexity in trainee involvement disclosure.

The response rate was 69%. Of the respondents, 46% consistently informed patients about trainee involvement in operations. Only 28% felt the complexity of operations influenced their decision to disclose trainee involvement. Subgroup analysis showed there was no statistically significant difference between junior and senior trainees in trainee involvement disclosure. If the trainees informed patients about who the operator would be, it was more likely for them to also disclose their own involvement. Many trainees also felt that the 'no guarantee of a particular surgeon' clause in the National Health Service consent form implied possible trainee involvement even if they did not specify it verbally.

The rate of trainee involvement disclosure is not related to the seniority of trainee or complexity of operations, but is related to operator disclosure. This may suggest trainee involvement disclosure is not dependent on the level of confidence of trainees but on the approach and attitude towards the consenting process.