Evaluation of general medical awareness and extent of preoperative explanation of surgical patients
Gabriel, M.; Pawlaczyk, K.; Krasiński, Z.
Przeglad Lekarski 56(2): 121-125
1999
ISSN/ISBN: 0033-2240 PMID: 10375943 Document Number: 504022
In order to help sick persons with making an aware decision to undergo a surgical treatment it is necessary to instruct them in every possible aspect of the proposed therapy. Aiming at adjusting the range and form of information to individual case of each patient, we have tried to estimate his/her general medical awareness and the extent of the acquirement of information received. On the ground of analysis of the results, it was found that 20-50% of patients had no basic knowledge of their illness at the moment of their admission to the hospital. Although 67% of the patients were satisfied with the questionnaire and preoperative explanation, every other patient had no understanding of the essence of the medical action planned. At the same time, about 50% of the patients declared a possibility of withdrawing their consent to surgical treatment, if given more comprehensive information about possible complications.