article · BMC Research Notes
This study investigated post-operative patients' experiences and perspectives on informed consent for surgery at three university teaching hospitals in Uganda. A survey of 371 patients revealed that while most reported receiving explanations for their surgery and giving permission, a significant proportion did not have their questions fully answered, did not know the type of operation performed, or did not give consent. Furthermore, many patients could not identify the person who obtained consent or the surgeon. Patient satisfaction with information provided varied, and there were diverse opinions on the optimal timing for doctors to provide explanations. The findings highlight a need to enhance patient participation in informed decision-making, suggesting that continuing medical education for doctors could address these gaps.
Ensuring patients fully understand and consent to surgical procedures is fundamental for ethical medical practice and patient safety. This research highlights significant gaps in the informed consent process in some settings, indicating that many patients may not be truly informed participants in their own care. Addressing these issues can improve patient trust, outcomes, and overall healthcare quality.
The abstract does not indicate an application pathway, specific users, or a readiness level for commercialisation.
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BACKGROUND: Informed consent during medical practice is an essential component of comprehensive medical care and is a requirement that should be sought all the time the doctor interacts with the patients, though very challenging when it comes to implementation. Since the magnitude and frequency of surgery related risk are higher in a resource limited setting, informed consent for surgery in such settings should be more comprehensive. This study set out to evaluate patients' experiences and perspectives of informed consent for surgery. METHODS: This was a survey of post-operative patients at three university teaching hospitals in Uganda. The participants were interviewed using guided, semi-structured questionnaires. Patients from different surgical disciplines participated in the study. RESULTS: A total of 371 patients participated in the study. Eighty percent of the participants reported having been given explanations on the indication for their surgery, 56.1 % had all their questions answered before the operation, 17 % did not know the type of operation they had undergone and another 17 % did not give their consent for the operation. Additionally, more than 81 % of the participants reported giving their own permission for surgery, although only 23.7 % were able to identify the person who obtained consent from them and 22.4 % knew the names of the surgeons who conducted the surgical procedure on them. About 20 % of the participants were not satisfied with the information provided by both the doctor before and after the operation. However, there were varying responses on when doctors should explain to patients with the majority saying it should be done before treatment or surgery, while others thought it should be done on admission, others proposed that it be made immediately after the examination among other responses. On what should be done to improve communication between doctors and patients, a number of suggestions, including the need for a detailed explanation for the patient by the doctor about their disease conditions and treatment options were suggested. CONCLUSIONS: Patients' perceptions of what constitutes informed consent are diverse and many patients undergo surgery without knowledge of the identity of the surgeon or the reason for the surgery. There is a need to improve on patients' participation in informed decision making, and this can be achieved through continuing medical education for doctors.
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DOI: 10.1186/s13104-015-1754-z
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