A prospective study comparing conventional methods against a structured method of gaining patients' informed consent for tonsillectomy.

I Nixon; N Balaji; O Hilmy; B Fu; C Brown

doi:10.1111/j.1365-2273.2005.01021.x

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A prospective study comparing conventional methods against a structured method of gaining patients' informed consent for tonsillectomy.

I Nixon·N Balaji·O Hilmy·B Fu·C Brown

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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: By providing junior members of medical staff with appropriate guidelines one can achieve an improved standard of informed consent for tonsillectomy, than is provided at present. DESIGN: A prospective study of 138 consecutive patients. SETTING: District General Hospital. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 138 patients undergoing routine tonsillectomy split into two groups. Group A (n=87), the conventional group, gave consent in our unit's standard manner to various grades of doctors by using a hospital general surgical consent form. Most gave their consent as outpatients, while some consented on admission. Group B (n=51), the structured consent group, gave their consent in pre-admission clinic, to an SHO using a standardized tonsillectomy consent form and a structured interview technique. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: A preoperative questionnaire regarding the knowledge of tonsillectomy. RESULTS: Improvement of the awareness of the risks involved with tonsillectomy was achieved by the structured consent Group B; 82% of Group A were aware of postoperative pain compared with 94% of group B (P=0.04); 63% of group A were aware of infection compared with 82% of group B (P=0.02); 100% of group B had read the consent form before signing compared with 80% of group A (P<0.01). There was no statistical difference in the awareness of postoperative haemorrhage (91 versus 98%, P=0.15). CONCLUSION: By providing junior medical staff with guidelines, senior staff retain responsibility for consent while improving the standard of informed consent for tonsillectomy.

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Adolescent Adult Child Child, Preschool Female Humans Informed Consent Male Middle Aged Outcome Assessment, Health Care Prospective Studies Surveys and Questionnaires Tonsillectomy Comparative Study Journal Article

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I Nixon, N Balaji, O Hilmy, B Fu, C Brown. 2005. A prospective study comparing conventional methods against a structured method of gaining patients' informed consent for tonsillectomy.. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2273.2005.01021.x

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