Informed consent in head and neck surgery: how much do patients actually remember?

OBJECTIVE

This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of informed consent in head and neck surgery by testing patient recall of potential complications from thyroidectomy, parathyroidectomy, and parotidectomy.

DESIGN

A prospective design was used.

SETTING

The setting was an academic tertiary care centre.

METHODS

Fifty-four patients undergoing thyroidectomy, parathyroidectomy, or parotidectomy were consented by verbal contact by the operating surgeon with a specific preoperative checklist of complication and side effects. One week to 2 months after consent, the patients were surveyed for recall of potential complications.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Rate of recall was related to various parameters including patient age, sex, level of education, occupation, and length of time from the consent interview to the recall interview.

RESULTS

The overall recall rate for all procedures was 48%. Those patients who recalled over 50% of the complications were younger (p = .04) and better educated (p = .04). The gender of the patients did not appear to influence recall success (p = 1.00), even when facial scar or paralysis was considered.

CONCLUSION

A significant relationship exists between education level and patient age and the rate of patient recall of potential complications of surgery.