We have identified efforts by research ers to investigate interventions which seek to improve information delivery and consideration of information to enhance  informed consent .
The interventions used consistently improve patient knowledge , an important prerequisite for informed consent .
This is encouraging and these measures could be widely employed although we are not able to say with confidence which types of interventions are preferable .
Our results should be interpreted with caution due to the high levels of heterogeneity associated with many of the main analyses although we believe there is broad evidence of beneficial outcomes for patients with the pragmatic application of interventions .
BACKGROUND Achieving informed consent is a core clinical procedure and is required before any surgical or invasive procedure is undertaken .
However , it is a complex process which requires patients be provided with information which they can underst and and retain , opportunity to consider their options , and to be able to express their opinions and ask questions .
There is evidence that at present some patients undergo procedures without informed consent being achieved .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effects on patients , clinicians and the healthcare system of interventions to promote informed consent for patients undergoing surgical and other invasive healthcare treatments and procedures .
AUTHORS ' CONCLUSIONS Informed consent is an important ethical and practical part of patient care .
Recall from informed consent counselling for cataract surgery.
The authors investigated the effect of giving written material on information recall from informed consent counselling for cataract surgery . Fifty English-speaking patients who underwent non-urgent cataract extraction at Flinders Medical Centre , South Australia , were prospect ively enrolled .  Systematic counselling for cataract surgery was provided , with a written copy of the content given to a r and omly selected group of patients ( n = 24 ) . All subjects completed a question naire after counselling and again at two weeks after surgery to test their satisfaction with , and recall of , information provided . Patients were found to be satisfied with the amount of information they received and most were able to recall details about the cataract surgery procedure . However , many could not recall success rates or complication rates and only a minority could list any complication . The provision of written information did not significantly alter recall ( p>0.05 ) . Recall was significantly better immediately after counselling than two weeks after surgery ( p<0.05 ) . Younger patients also had significantly better recall ( p<0.05 ) . Patients were happy with the information they had been given but did not remember enough from the informed consent process to satisfy legal requirements
We have identified efforts by research ers to investigate interventions which seek to improve information delivery and consideration of information to enhance  informed consent .
The interventions used consistently improve patient knowledge , an important prerequisite for informed consent .
This is encouraging and these measures could be widely employed although we are not able to say with confidence which types of interventions are preferable .
Our results should be interpreted with caution due to the high levels of heterogeneity associated with many of the main analyses although we believe there is broad evidence of beneficial outcomes for patients with the pragmatic application of interventions .
BACKGROUND Achieving informed consent is a core clinical procedure and is required before any surgical or invasive procedure is undertaken .
However , it is a complex process which requires patients be provided with information which they can underst and and retain , opportunity to consider their options , and to be able to express their opinions and ask questions .
There is evidence that at present some patients undergo procedures without informed consent being achieved .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effects on patients , clinicians and the healthcare system of interventions to promote informed consent for patients undergoing surgical and other invasive healthcare treatments and procedures .
AUTHORS ' CONCLUSIONS Informed consent is an important ethical and practical part of patient care .