23. INFORMED CONSENT SMART PHONE APP IMPROVES LEVEL OF COMFORT AND KNOWLEDGE AMONGST PEDIATRIC RESIDENTS

Abstract

Background Obtaining informed consent is an integral part of medicine yet is a skill set that is not typically taught to residents formally. Lack of skill and confidence obtaining informed consent can have dire medical-legal consequences. Therefore, we created an informed consent smartphone app to give providers this information at their fingertips so they can successfully obtain informed consent on several common pediatric procedures in a more standardized fashion. Our objective was to assess if pediatric residents knowledge and comfort with obtaining informed consent would increase with an informed consent app. Methods A prototype smartphone app was designed on Adobe XD with a standardized approach to obtaining informed consent for pediatric procedures (RBC and platelet transfusions, LP, conscious sedation, central lines and vitamin K refusal). In 2020, an anonymous pre-intervention questionnaire was circulated amongst pediatric residents in Elmhurst Hospital Center. Participants were given an opportunity to navigate the informed consent app and given a post-intervention survey. Results Of the 25 residents who participated, all had previously obtained consent. Most learned how to obtain consent by observing another resident (72%) and surprisingly, 12% report that they obtained consent without any preparation at all. Self-reported level of comfort for procedures increased proportionally with every year of training. Residents’ comfort obtaining informed consent improved for every procedure after use of the informed consent app. 100% were comfortable obtaining informed consent with the app for all procedures with the exception of central lines which was not functioning on the app. 96% of residents agree that they would benefit from additional training in obtaining informed consent. 100% of residents agree that they would use the informed consent app. Conclusions With the informed consent app, residents’ level of comfort increased for all procedures. This quick intervention showed promise as an easy way for residency programs to standardize an approach to obtaining informed consent.