A postal informed consent form for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy

Abstract

Background: A new postal informed consent form was introduced for gastroscopy patients at Royal South Hants Hospital. This included a pre-procedure information booklet intended to ensure valid consent, speed up the procedure and reduce anxiety. Aims: The study aimed to assess the efficacy of the information leaflet. Method: A quantitative survey was designed to assess information quality, anxiety levels and admission time using both binary yes/no and Likert-scale closed questions, as well as collect admission and discharge times. Results and discussion: Of the 88% of patients who received the booklet, 90% read it. Of these, 98% felt it was written clearly. Less than one third had had a previous gastroscopy, but over three-quarters knew what one was. Patient satisfaction with the information provided was very high, with 96% of respondents evaluating it very good or excellent. Admission periods were reduced by nearly 3 minutes. Changes in anxiety levels were not statistically significant, although high levels of anxiety were reduced in some patients.