What do orthopaedic surgeons tell patients?
Surgical patients have the right to clear communication regarding diagnosis, treatment and prognosis including risks and likelihood of success. In order to ascertain the level of consensus which exists among orthopaedic surgeons about what patients should be told, a short questionnaire comprising a fictitious case history of a candidate for total hip replacement and a list of sample statements was mailed to all orthopaedic surgeons in Northern Ireland; 86% replied. Surgeons were in general agreement about what the patient should and should not be told prior to operation. This approach may be adapted for other procedures.
Kernohan
W G
WG
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Queen's University of Belfast, UK.
Mollan
R A
RA
Geary
R
R
Donegan
H A
HA
Dodd
F J
FJ
D006622:Hip Prosthesis; D006801:Humans; D009985:Orthopedics; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014342:Truth Disclosure