Attitude and Practice of Surgical Informed Consent among the Surgical Team in a Teaching Center: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Surgical informed consent is an essential part of a surgical procedure that is based on good communication between patients and physicians. Informed consent is an important part of medical practices worldwide that goes beyond just a signature; it equips patients with knowledge that helps them in making decisions. Aim: We aimed to evaluate the surgical team’s role and level of knowledge of informed consent for an upcoming procedure. Methods: Between May 2018 and June 2018, we conducted a cross-sectional study among 255 doctors at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to evaluate their experiences of obtaining patient consent. Data for this research were collected using a 14-point questionnaire and entered into Microsoft Excel. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS, version 21. Descriptive statistics and a chi-squared test were applied to analyze the data. Results: Of the 188 participants who returned the questionnaire, 95.2% had experience obtaining surgical consent. Approximately 35.5% of interns, 78.9% of junior residents, 87.5% of senior residents, and 54.5% of specialists mentioned that they always take consent from patients; 37.2% reported knowledge of “all” steps of surgical procedures. Seventy-seven participants claimed to know “all” the risks of surgical procedures. Interns were the least comfortable while taking consent. Conclusion: SIC is an essential ethical skill and an integral part of any surgical procedure. Senior doctors, who are the most eligible and qualified, usually facilitate the SIC process. Nevertheless, SIC is also facilitated by a non-negligible number of unqualified junior doctors.