666 Improving Consent Form Completion Rate and Quality in Plastic Surgery

Abstract

Abstract Aim The consent form is a medico-legal document which seeks to reflect the quality of the consenting process. We aim to audit and improve the quality and completion of surgical consent forms in a plastic surgery department in a major trauma centre. Method Retrospective review of Consent Form 1 for surgical procedures completed in May 2022. 3 aspects were audited: legibility, information sharing, and seeking consent. An educational poster was created as the intervention. The audit was repeated in October 2022. A survey was sent to obtain clinicians' experience to compare to the results. Results The first cycle audited 62 consent forms: 79% were completely legible with no abbreviations. 98% contained 3 patient identifiers. 83% had completely legible benefits and risks documented. 71% had the information of the consenting clinician clearly documented. 3.3% had documented if a carbon-copy was offered to the patient. Post-intervention, 54 consent forms were audited. 100% were completely legible with no abbreviations. 100% contained 3 patient identifiers. 91% had completely legible benefits and risks documented. 93% had the information of the consenting clinician clearly documented. 39% had documented if a carbon-copy was offered to the patient. 10 clinicians responded to the survey: 70% described having little to no formal training in completing consent forms; 60% noted that they have learnt through observing others. Conclusions A simple intervention is enough to significantly improve the quality of documentation of consent forms. Greater education of how to correctly complete the consent form is important in the education of a surgeon.