[The preoperative informed consent procedure]

Abstract

Regarding the preoperative informed consent procedure (ICP), a considerable gap exists between legal requirements and current clinical practice. Although it is often thought that the ICP just has a legal background, the ICP is also important for shared decision making. Physicians are insufficiently trained to complete the different stages of the ICP and standardization of the given information is far from optimal. What the patient really needs and wants to know, besides the legal framework, needs better formulation e.g. in guidelines. The limited health literacy of patients often prevents an adequate ICP. Therefore physicians should learn to check the patient's level of literacy and to adapt the information accordingly. Patients do not always realize the importance of informed consent and there is a need for improved patient empowerment.