Anesthetic Informed Consent

Koo, Gill Hoi

Abstract

Today, the medical disputes are increased with the background of increased awareness of human rights, depersonalization in patient-physician correlationship, commercialization of medieal delivery and non-existence of social compensation for medical damage. Especially the anes olagists worked at operative wards have the risk of several pmblems occurred from various surgical and medical causes, and be involved in legal action alleging malpractice. To reduce this problems of medical dispute, theoretically anesthesiologist must always establish the rapport with patients, and summary the patient's pertinent points of the history, results of physical exarnination, laboratory examination and interview, including a statement of any unusual risk, type of anesthesia planned, and the reasons for the choice of anesthesia after careful evaluation of patient's condition, and get the "informed consent" from patient. Therefore we investigated the statement of the informed consent for anesthesia in Korean general hospitals. Specific formula of anesthetic informed consent was used in only 7 hospitals (12.7%), and 19 of 55 generai hospitals (34.5%) get the informed consent in cases of high risk with cardiac, respiratory, central nervous system, hepatic and renal diseases.