Review Outlines Issues Relating to Obtaining Surgical Consent

FRIDAY, July 7, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- There is currently low-level evidence about surgical consent processes that can inform clinical practice, and surgical consent is frequently obtained by junior doctors in a suboptimal process, according to a review published online June 25 in the Journal of Clinical Nursing.

Therese M. Gardiner, M.N., from Griffith University in Southport, Australia, and colleagues provided an overview of the literature about the process of obtaining informed consent from adults undergoing planned surgery. The scoping review included 53 articles: 39 primary and 14 secondary research publications.

The researchers identified three key findings: currently, there is low-level evidence relating to the surgical consent processes to inform clinical practice; junior doctors often obtain surgical consent, but this process is likely suboptimal; and current knowledge gaps include capacity assessment, decision-making, and preprocedural consent checks.

"While the responsibility for obtaining surgical consent lies with the surgeon, the nurse's role is crucial as they act as a safety net," the authors write. "This holds particular importance given the frequency of junior doctors consenting patients for surgery, coupled with incomplete procedural information delivered."

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