BMJ  2006;333 (9 September), doi:10.1136/bmj.333.7567.0-d

Patients misunderstand purpose of consent

Many patients have limited knowledge of the legal implications of signing or not signing consent forms and do not recognise written consent as primarily serving their interests. In a prospective questionnaire study, Akkad and colleagues (p 528) found that, of 732 patients who had undergone surgery, nearly half believed the primary function of consent forms was to protect hospitals, and 68% thought the forms allowed doctors to assume control. The authors conclude that substantial disparity remains between the bioethical ideals of the consent process and its role as perceived by patients.

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Relevant Article

Patients' perceptions of written consent: questionnaire study

Andrea Akkad, Clare Jackson, Sara Kenyon, Mary Dixon-Woods, Nick Taub, and Marwan Habiba
BMJ 2006 333: 528. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]