title: Structured Preoperative Phone Counseling by Junior Medical Staff for Improving the Consent Process for Tonsillectomy.
abstract: To assess the effectiveness of preoperative phone counseling by junior medical staff for improving the standard of informed consent for tonsillectomy.
  
  
  
  Prospective randomized controlled trial.
  
  
  
  District general hospital.
  
  
  
  A total of 43 patients undergoing tonsillectomy were randomly allocated to 2 groups. Group A (n = 25) underwent the conventional consent process by the consultant ear, nose, and throat surgeon at the time of assessment (which generally takes place 6 to 12 months prior to surgery due to wait-list times). Group B (n = 18) underwent this same consent process but received a structured preoperative phone call 2 to 3 weeks prior to the day of surgery. A preoperative questionnaire assessing the knowledge of tonsillectomy, perioperative course, and risks was completed on the day of surgery.
  
  
  
  Group B had a better recall of the risks of tonsillectomy, recalling 7.1 of the 10 most significant risks, as compared with 4.6 for group A (P = .017). Group B had a better awareness of tooth damage (78% vs 30% of patients, P ≤ .001), voice change (61 vs 19%, P = .005), and burns to lips and mouth (44% vs 8%, P = .005). Finally, 35% more patients from group B rated their understanding of tonsillectomy as good or very good (P = .017).
  
  
  
  Preoperative phone counseling by junior medical staff closer to the time of surgery reinforces and clarifies the information previously provided by senior consultants at the time of initial consent for tonsillectomy.
authors.affiliation: Gosford District Hospital, Gosford, Australia jonathan.s.kam@gmail.com.|Faculty of Medicine, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kam
authors.affiliation: Gosford District Hospital, Gosford, Australia.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Harrop
authors.affiliation: Gosford District Hospital, Gosford, Australia.
authors.forename: Priscilla
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Parmar
authors.affiliation: Gosford District Hospital, Gosford, Australia.
authors.forename: Raymond
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Gosford District Hospital, Gosford, Australia.
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Leith
authors.affiliation: Gosford District Hospital, Gosford, Australia.|Faculty of Medicine, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia.
authors.forename: Indunil
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gunawardena
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003376:Counseling; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent; D008297:Male; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital; D010036:Otolaryngology; D010290:Parents; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013689:Telephone; D014068:Tonsillectomy
keywords: informed consent; preoperative counseling; tonsillectomy