Assessing adequacy of informed consent for elective surgery by student-administered interview

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Patient Care
• Informed Consent

Background:

• Patient comprehension of surgical risks, benefits, and complications is often inadequate.
• A lack of studies in Asia assessing informed consent adequacy prompted this research.
• Informed consent is crucial for patient autonomy and safety in surgical procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the adequacy of informed consent in surgical patients in Asia.
• To evaluate patient understanding and recall of key surgical information and potential complications.
• To determine the effectiveness of a medical student-administered interview in improving patient comprehension.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study involving 48 patients undergoing common surgeries (groin hernia, laparoscopic cholecystectomy, thyroidectomy).
• Standardized assessment forms detailing surgical information and common complications were utilized.
• Structured one-to-one interviews were conducted by medical students on the morning of surgery.

Main Results:

• While 93.8% of patients reported understanding, recall of serious complications was low (19.4% to 62.5%).
• Elderly patients (>65 years) demonstrated poorer understanding compared to younger patients (P=0.008).
• High satisfaction rates were reported by both patients (95.8%) and students (97.9%) for the interview method.

Conclusions:

• Patient understanding of surgical information and complications is generally insufficient, especially among the elderly.
• The structured preoperative interview effectively identified knowledge gaps and enhanced student communication abilities.
• This method offers a valuable tool for improving the informed consent process and patient education in surgery.