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 .
Informed consent in facial plastic surgery: effectiveness of a simple educational intervention.
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effectiveness of oral communication about the risks of facial cosmetic procedures compared with oral and written communication . DESIGN A prospect i ve r and omized study conducted in an ambulatory surgery center . One hundred twenty consecutive patients were included ; they presented for consultation for rhinoplasty , rhytidectomy , or laser resurfacing . Patients were r and omly assigned to 1 of 2 groups : ( 1 ) those receiving oral discussion of the risks of the procedure and ( 2 ) those receiving oral and written communication about the risks . Two weeks after the initial consultation , patients were surveyed for recall of the risks . RESULTS The group that received a pamphlet had a better risk recall than the group that did not ( 2.5 vs1.5 of 5 risks ; P<.001 ) . The recall rate in the following groups that received a pamphlet was also better : ( 1 ) university-educated patients ( P = .02 ) , ( 2 ) patients who underwent rhinoplasty ( P<.001 ) , ( 3 ) patients who underwent laser resurfacing ( P = .02 ) , and ( 4 ) female patients ( P<.001 ) . CONCLUSIONS Written disclosure of the risks of cosmetic procedures enables patients to retain and underst and more clearly those potential risks . They are , therefore , able to give an informed consent to the proposed procedure . This study also identifies patient groups who may require more intensive presurgical teaching . The medicolegal implication s are apparent
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 .