Evaluation of the Quality of Informed Consent in Candidate Patients for Endoscopy and Colonoscopy

Abstract

Background: Given the large number of patients undergoing endoscopy and colonoscopy, the quality of obtaining informed consent and providing accurate, balanced information is crucial for ensuring patient cooperation and informed decision-making. Patients should be provided with comprehensive information about the necessity, benefits, risks, disadvantages, feasibility, alternative methods, and detailed explanations of the procedures. Objectives: With this in mind, our study aimed to evaluate the quality of informed consent among patients undergoing endoscopy and colonoscopy in Rasht. Methods: This research was conducted as a descriptive cross-sectional study. The study was performed on patients who were candidates for endoscopy and colonoscopy in Rasht during 2022. A total of 174 patients were examined. Participants were selected using a stratified sampling method. Data were collected through standardized questionnaires and trained interviewers. The collected data were coded and analyzed using SPSS version 22. Descriptive statistics, including mean and standard deviation for quantitative variables and number and percentage for qualitative variables, were used. For inferential analysis, Pearson's correlation test was applied for normally distributed variables, while Spearman's test was used for non-normal distributions. A significance level of P < 0.05 was considered. Results: This study assessed the quality of informed consent among 174 patients undergoing endoscopy and colonoscopy, with an average age of 49.07 ± 15.27 years (50.6% male, 49.4% female). The majority (55.2%) scored in the "average" category for overall informed consent quality, with an average score of 19.98 ± 6.53. Age was negatively correlated with consent quality (r = -0.248, P < 0.001), while gender showed no significant effect (P = 0.844). Education level significantly influenced scores (P = 0.003), with higher scores among university graduates compared to illiterate participants. Physician-patient interaction scores averaged 7.83 ± 3.28, with no significant correlation to age or gender but a significant association with education level (P = 0.044). Conclusions: According to the results of the study, it seems that the quality of obtaining consent for endoscopic and colonoscopy procedures for the purpose of diagnosis and treatment decreases significantly with increasing age and low level of education. These patients consent to perform these procedures with less knowledge. The low level of voluntary endoscopy and colonoscopy and its relationship with the factors of age, education, providing information to the patient, and interaction with the attending physician can indicate the need to provide more and more appropriate information about the reasons for performing these measures in order to cooperate and achieve patient satisfaction.