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Informed consent in head and neck surgery: how much do patients actually remember?
R J Hekkenberg1, J C Irish, L E Rotstein
1Department of Otolaryngology, Toronto Hospital, University of Toronto, Ontario.
Objective:
This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of informed consent in head and neck surgery by testing patient recall of potential complications from thyroidectomy, parathyroidectomy, and parotidectomy.
Design:
A prospective design was used.
Setting:
The setting was an academic tertiary care centre.
Methods:
Fifty-four patients undergoing thyroidectomy, parathyroidectomy, or parotidectomy were consented by verbal contact by the operating surgeon with a specific preoperative checklist of complication and side effects. One week to 2 months after consent, the patients were surveyed for recall of potential complications.
Main Outcome Measures:
Rate of recall was related to various parameters including patient age, sex, level of education, occupation, and length of time from the consent interview to the recall interview.
Results:
The overall recall rate for all procedures was 48%. Those patients who recalled over 50% of the complications were younger (p = .04) and better educated (p = .04). The gender of the patients did not appear to influence recall success (p = 1.00), even when facial scar or paralysis was considered.
Conclusion:
A significant relationship exists between education level and patient age and the rate of patient recall of potential complications of surgery.