A Pilot Survey of Consenting Practice for Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

Excerpt

General medical guidelines state that patients have a fundamental legal and ethical right to determine what happens to them. Valid consent to treatment is therefore absolutely central in all forms of health care, from providing personal care to undertaking major surgery. Provision of an informed consent for surgery is crucial in allowing patients to make decisions about the proposed treatment and care. Clear, accurate information about the risks of any proposed investigation or treatment, presented in a way patients can understand, can help them make informed decisions (General Medical Council 2008). To this end, we conducted a pilot survey comparing consenting practice amongst six consultants and six registrars at a district general hospital with regard to laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) and the documentation and documentation process of the potential complications of surgery. …