Consent: the patients' view--a summary of findings from a study of patients' perceptions of their consent to dental care.

AIM

A study was carried out which aimed to investigate peoples' perceptions of how their consent was given for dental treatment.

METHOD

A structured questionnaire was completed by 50 patients receiving treatment in the British NHS and 12 of them completed an in-depth recorded interview. The data was analysed using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods.

RESULTS

The findings showed that 80% of patients had not been given any written treatment plan (FP17DC). 79% of patients mistakenly thought that the form signed requesting NHS treatment (FP17) was a consent form. When options were offered patients were more likely to consider that they were involved in the consenting process. However consent is still often implied rather than explicit. There was a range of experience reported by patients from those who felt that the dentist made the treatment decisions to those who felt that decisions had been made collaboratively. Although some patients were happy with the way their consent was obtained examples were also given of lack of information, confusion and even of deceit.

CONCLUSIONS

There is an urgent need to clarify the status of NHS documentation regarding consent and a general need for awareness to be raised in the dental profession about the importance of obtaining consent which is freely given based on appropriate information which has been adequately understood.