PATIENT'S RIGHT TO SELF-DETERM1NATION: INFORMED CONSENT

Abstract

We aimed to investigate the effect of informed consent on the patients' knowledge on his/her disease and satisfaction in this study. Moreover, the study was conducted to determine patients' attitude on the concept of informed consent. In routine practice, patients' consent which is a written agreement that gives the right to the health care provider to perform diagnostic and therapeutic procedures on the patient, has been taken on the hospital admission form as a small and compulsory legal detail at the turbulent environment of admission procedure. However, it has been understood and commonly accepted that having patients' consent via special structured form is very important. Between November 1 1999 and January31 2000, 142 patients who were admitted to the Dokuz Eylül University Hospital, Clinic of General Surgery were taken into the prospectively randomised study. In control group, patients' consent was taken via routine procedure. In study group, patients' consent was taken via informed consent form which was specially designed by the authors. Before discharge from the hospital, the patient information and satisfaction survey was performed to all patients. In statistical analysis, Pearson x2 test was used to compare the differences between the groups. The majority of patients in both groups (97.1%) wanted to know all facts of their disease and treatment, but they stated that the doctor could take the treatment decision on by her/his own (80.9%). Almost half of the patients stated that they would not refuse the treatment even it was not exactly the same with their consent (44.7%). In study group the patients pointed out that they had more information about the procedure (p<0.01), the side effects-possible harms (p<0.001), and alternatives of the treatment (p<0.001). In addition, we found that their understanding on what they have been told was better (p<0.001) and the informed consent increased patients' satisfaction (p<0.001).