Implant counseling and information: questions, predictors, and decision-making of patients before implant therapy.
BACKGROUND
Implant counseling and information must enable the patient to make his/her own independent decision (informed consent). However, there are indications that patient counseling and information often provides incomplete information.


METHODS
In 40 implant counseling and information sessions, all questions raised by the patients were documented during the session. The patient's decision for or against implant therapy was recorded 3 months later. The influence of the patient's age and gender, the type of insurance, the number of questions asked by the patient, the number of required implants, and the need for augmentation on the patient's decision were determined.


RESULTS
Sixty-five percentage of the patients decided in favor of implant-prosthetic therapy. One significant factor influencing the patient's decision was the need for augmentation. Fifty-four percentage of the patients who decided in favor of the implant intervention needed augmentation. Eighty-six percentage of the patients who refused the intervention could have been treated only in conjunction with pre-implantological augmentation. The need for augmentation was associated with a higher mean number of questions per counseling and information session (3.7 vs. 2.3) (n.s.). Patients who had opted for implant treatment asked significantly fewer questions (2.5) than patients who refused the treatment (4.4). The patient's age and gender, the type of insurance, or the number of implants required had no influence on decision-making.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients who ask many questions rather tend to refuse the implant treatment. The need for augmentation was also associated with a significantly higher percentage of implant refusal. These results suggest that patients with an indication of augmentation require particularly detailed and comprehensive counseling and information.
Dental Academy for Continuing Professional Development, Karlsruhe, Germany.
Michael
M
Korsch
Institute of Social Medicine and Health Economics, Otto-von-Guericke-University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.
Bernt P
BP
Robra
Dental Academy for Continuing Professional Development, Karlsruhe, Germany.
Winfried
W
Walther
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003376:Counseling; D003657:Decision Making; D015921:Dental Implants / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D010353:Patient Education as Topic
D015921:Dental Implants
augmentation; decision-making; implants; patient counseling and information