Individualised consent for endoscopy: update on the 2016 BSG guidelines.

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Medical Ethics
• Healthcare Policy

Background:

• The British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) updated its 2016 endoscopy consent guidelines.
• The General Medical Council (GMC) introduced new guidelines on shared decision-making and consent in 2020, influenced by the 2015 Montgomery ruling.
• These updates emphasize patient values and shared decision-making in medical interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide formal recommendations for updating the 2016 BSG endoscopy consent guidelines.
• To offer practical proposals for incorporating the GMC's 2020 guidance and the Montgomery ruling into clinical practice.
• To support clinicians in enhancing the consent process for endoscopic procedures.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing BSG (2016) and GMC (2020) guidelines and the Montgomery ruling.
• Development of formal recommendations and practical proposals for consent.
• Focus on incorporating patient-related factors and values into decision-making.

Main Results:

• Formal recommendations are presented to update the BSG endoscopy consent guidelines.
• The document expands on the Montgomery legislation and GMC guidance, offering practical integration strategies.
• Emphasis is placed on the collaborative efforts required for local implementation.

Conclusions:

• The updated recommendations aim to enhance the endoscopy consent process by integrating patient values.
• The guidelines are intended to accompany, not replace, existing GMC and BSG documents.
• Effective implementation requires collaboration between medical practitioners and healthcare services at a local level.