title: Informed consent in clinical practice: pre-registration house officers' knowledge, difficulties and the need for postgraduate training.
abstract: In clinical practice consent is often obtained by junior doctors. This study investigates the involvement of pre-registration house officers (PRHOs) in the process of obtaining consent, the supervision they receive and their knowledge on the subject. Some 74% of the PRHOs in post completed the questionnaire; 68% had often or sometimes obtained consent during their year as PRHO; 18% stated that on the occasions when they had obtained consent they were always the only person eliciting consent; 62% of the doctors perceived some lack of knowledge with regard to the nature of the procedure as a difficulty. Despite a comprehensive undergraduate programme in ethics, law and communication there is a need for applied education regarding the clinical procedures for which PRHOs are obtaining consent.
authors.affiliation: Institute for History of Medicine and Medical Ethics, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany. jan.schildmann@ethik.med.uni-erlangen.de
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schildmann
authors.forename: Annie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cushing
authors.forename: Len
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Doyal
authors.forename: Jochen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vollmann
mesh_terms: D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000941:ethics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000523:psychology*; D016743:Mental Competency