Abstract
Introduction
Appropriate consenting is part of good medical practice and is a medico-legal necessity for invasive procedures. The BOA recently created generic consent forms covering the relevant complications for orthopaedic procedures, thus providing a standard for all orthopaedic consent. This study aims to assess the quality of consent in orthopaedic practice.
Materials/Methods
The most common elective and trauma procedures were identified over a one year period and consent forms for all patients undergoing these procedures were assessed against BOA ortho-consent forms. Data was compiled from elective total hip replacements (THR) and trauma ankle open reduction and internal fixations (ORIF), and analysed in excel.
Results
Forty ORIF's and forty-one THR's were considered totalling eighty-one cases. The average percentage of total complications included per form was 50%. Consultants had a higher average percentage of documented complications to all other grades (56%)(graph 1). Elective cases had a higher percentage of total complications included (59%) than trauma cases (40%). All consent forms included the risk of infection. Only 2.5% of THR consent forms included the risk of death and none of the ORIF consent forms included the risk of numbness post-op. All other complications were variably included (graphs 2 and 3). The most common grade to fill in consent forms were SHO's making up 60% of the forms (Chart 1).
Conclusion
Consent forms are not being filled in appropriately. This is a medico-legal risk we should be aware of and we would recommend the use or provision of ortho-consent forms as routine practice.
