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Consent Conundrum |
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Missing consent forms in the perioperative area is widespread and causes significant delays. A study performed by residents at John Hopkins found 66% of patients were missing signed consents at the time of surgery, which created a delay for those patients 14% of the time. The lack of consents also negatively affected resident's clinical and educational time, as they were frequently called to the perioperative area to complete these consents. Components of the process found to be problematic included unlinked IT systems, busy clinics with limited opportunities for surgeons to spend time with patients, and variability in the consent process. The authors hope that standardization of the process with an emphasis on obtaining consent in clinic can reduce the incidence of missing forms and subsequent OR delays. |
