Document Detail


Thomas G. Orr Memorial Lecture. Surgical informed consent: what it is and is not.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  3425796     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
A more systematic approach to addressing the crucial issue of informed consent is needed in medical education. Surgeons cannot afford gaps in their medical education regarding the communication process with patients. We found that many surgical residents and faculty understand the mechanics of the informed consent process quite well and could perform well under the artificial circumstances of our video interview. Whether they would do as well if a real patient was considering nonoperative therapy, or was a ne'er-do-well, or an alcoholic is not known. Two main causes of interference with the process have been identified: conflicting messages which surgeons get from within the profession, from the courts, and from within themselves and lack of time for dialogue with patients, and poor timing of the consent process. Areas that were uncovered that need further investigation include the barrier created by some surgeons' internal, often unrecognized, biases about surgery being the only satisfactory mode of treatment for some illnesses and some surgeons' belief that longevity should be the goal of all therapy, without considering that for some patients, maintenance of certain quality lifestyles is more important than a longer life. We hope that surgeons can learn to look at the informed consent process as a wonderful opportunity to communicate their personal concern for the patient as a person, not just a sick gallbladder to remove, and that this process can become the channel through which the wounded relationship of the patient and the physician can be healed.
Authors:
W S Edwards; C Yahne
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article    
Journal Detail:
Title:  American journal of surgery     Volume:  154     ISSN:  0002-9610     ISO Abbreviation:  Am. J. Surg.     Publication Date:  1987 Dec 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  1988-01-27     Completed Date:  1988-01-27     Revised Date:  2008-11-21    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  0370473     Medline TA:  Am J Surg     Country:  UNITED STATES    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  574-8     Citation Subset:  AIM; E; IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Surgery, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Communication
Comprehension
Disclosure
Education, Medical
General Surgery
Humans
Informed Consent*
Patient Education as Topic
Patients / psychology
Physician-Patient Relations*
Risk Assessment
Social Values
Surgical Procedures, Operative*

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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