Role of Consent in Medical Practice: A Survey Amongst Registered Medical Practitioners

Abstract

Informed consent of the patient is a basic necessity in medical practice. It is anethical as well as legal requirement before examination and any surgical/non-surgical procedure. From the times immemorial, medical practitioners played paternalistic role and were trusted with the responsibility of deciding the best treatment for their patients. With time, doctor patient relationship has changed from paternalistic to service provider and consumer type relationship. Patients, being the consumer of services provided by the medical practitioner, have the right to full information concerning their diagnosis, treatment options, prognosis and possible complications. Thus, they can choose the one which suits themthe most. The aim of this survey was to assess the awareness among registered medical practitioners (RMPs) about the importance and requirement of proper informed consent in various clinical situations. A questionnaire based survey was conducted amongst 342 RMPs (44 Professors, 17 Associate Professors, 50 Assistant Professors, 11 Senior Residents, 24 Tutors and 196 Postgraduate Residents) working in a tertiary health care hospital. The questionnaire comprised of 12 standardized and validated multiple choice questions on various aspects of consent in medical practice. The participants were asked to tick the option(s) which they thought was/were appropriate. The survey revealed that 2/3rd of RMPs wereunaware/poorly aware of the requirement/procedure of obtaining informed consent in various clinical situations. They were aware of only those situations which are discussed and debated at various forums.