Informed consent-patients' understanding of risk

Area of Science:

• Medical Ethics
• Health Literacy
• Biostatistics

Background:

• Informed consent relies on communicating probabilistic risks and benefits.
• Individual patient comprehension of these probabilities is crucial for ethical medical decision-making.
• Current understanding of patients' grasp of basic probability concepts needed for informed consent is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess patients' comprehension of fundamental probability concepts essential for informed consent.
• To identify demographic factors associated with variations in risk comprehension.

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire with five non-medical probability questions was administered to 478 patients.
• Participants were selected based on nurse assessment of sufficient English literacy.
• Statistical analysis, including multiple linear regression, was used to evaluate scores.

Main Results:

• Patients scored an average of 3.2 out of 5 on probability questions.
• Asian patients scored significantly lower (2.6) than Pākehā/European patients (3.6).
• Asian ethnicity and advanced age were independent predictors of lower scores; deprivation and sex were not.

Conclusions:

• While many patients demonstrate reasonable risk comprehension, significant gaps exist.
• Interventions should target older patients, those of Asian ethnicity, and individuals with English as a second language.
• Increased use of interpreters may improve understanding for diverse patient populations.