Informed consent in psychosomatic medicine
Satohisa, E.
Hokkaido Journal of Medical Science 73(1): 29-33
1998
ISSN/ISBN: 0367-6102 PMID: 9546143 Document Number: 487697
Obtaining informed consent perfectly is very difficult from the view of psychosomatic medicine. Medical education regarding informed consent is generally of a low level. However as it is important to defend patients' human rights, we must educate them as to the precise meaning of both "informed" and "consent". In this report I have tried to demonstrate that both the education of medical students and their social consciousness are very important. I examined students' opinions regarding the care of a sudden case of hysterectomy (Porro's emergent operation). The following students were involved: 1st year medical students (N = 73), 4th year (N = 85) and 6th year (N = 119), and 3rd year nursing students (N = 42) and midwife students (N = 27). I examined their answers by transactional analysis. The answers of the 1st year medical students reflecting the view of the child ego state were significantly greater than those of the other students (P < 0.01). But following my lecture the answers of the same 1st year students altered to reflect the view of the adult ego more (P < 0.05). We opened "the key center of psychosomatic women's health in Japan" in our clinic two years ago. Since then we have talked every month to people in general about various women's diseases, and also discussed various problems of the doctor-patient relationships during these talks. I feel that public awareness concerning informed consent has increased gradually recently in Japan.