The effectiveness of patient verbalization on informed consent.

OBJECTIVE

To determine if preoperative patient verbalization of the risks and benefits of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction enhances understanding of the risks and benefits of that procedure.

DESIGN

A randomized clinical trial.

SETTING

A referral-based outpatient sport medicine clinic.

SUBJECTS: Twenty patients from the general population with clinically diagnosed ACL tears requiring elective reconstruction surgery were randomly assigned to 2 groups. Twelve patients who made up a control group received a standard surgical consultation, consisting of knee models, diagrams, open dialogue and informed consent to surgery. Eight patients in the experimental group were exposed to the same surgical consultation and were required to accurately verbalize the associated risks and benefits before operation. One month after informed consent was obtained, patients answered 3 questions about the risks and benefits of ACL reconstruction.

INTERVENTION: ACL reconstruction.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: A 3-question questionnaire, addressing 2 risks and 1 benefit of ACL reconstruction.

MAIN

RESULTS

Patients in the experimental group were able to answer all 3 questions correctly. In the control group, 4 patients answered all 3 questions correctly, but 1 patient answered all 3 questions incorrectly, and 7 patients answered 1 question incorrectly. There was a statistically significant difference (p = 0.03) between the control group and the experimental group.

CONCLUSION

Patients who verbalized the risks and benefits during their surgical consultation demonstrated a significantly greater understanding of the risks and benefits of an ACL reconstruction procedure.