Highlights
- •Dimensional analysis identifies three perspectives of the informed consent process.
- •Legal perspective addresses requirement of formal informed consent discussion.
- •Health care perspective incorporates goals of individual performing the procedure.
- •Patient perspective reveals unique goals not identified by previous perspectives.
- •Informed consent is complex and compromised of separate but related perspectives.
Abstract
Background
Informed consent is a complex process that is legally required before any surgical
procedure.
Purpose
The purpose of this manuscript was to perform a concept analysis of the informed consent
process.
Methods
The use of dimensional analysis identified three separate yet related perspectives
of the informed consent process: legal, health care, and patients. A database search
using the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature and PubMed were
performed.
Findings
A total of 27 publications were reviewed. The legal perspective addresses the requirement
of informed consent, which starts with the discussion between the health care provider
and the patient undergoing the surgical procedure and ends with a signature on a piece
of paper. The health care perspective also addresses the legal requirement but incorporates
the goals and objectives of the individual initiating the informed consent discussion.
The patients' perspectives also incorporate goals and objectives; however, they differ
from that of the health care provider in that they go beyond what happens in the operating
room or during hospitalization.
Discussion
Viewing informed consent through these different yet related perspectives provides
insight into this complex process and may enhance the researcher's ability to understand
and improve the informed consent process.
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: January 20, 2023
Accepted:
December 29,
2022
Received in revised form:
December 12,
2022
Received:
August 30,
2022
Publication stage
In Press Journal Pre-ProofFootnotes
Funding was provided through the University of Alabama at Birmingham departmental funds.
Identification
Copyright
© 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
