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 .
Improving informed consent to chemotherapy: a randomized controlled trial of written information versus an interactive multimedia CD-ROM.
OBJECTIVE This r and omized controlled trial aim ed to determine whether an interactive CD-ROM improved cancer patients ' recall of chemotherapy treatment information over st and ard written information , and whether demographic , cognitive , and psychological factors better predicted recall than this format of delivery . METHODS One-hundred- and -one new patients about to commence chemotherapy were r and omized to receive written information or a CD-ROM containing treatment information before giving informed consent . Patients ' recall , concentration , short-term memory , reading comprehension , anxiety , depression , and coping styles were assessed with st and ardized measures pre-treatment . Seventy-seven patients completed tests for recall of treatment information before their second chemotherapy session . RESULTS Intention-to-treat analyses indicated no significant differences between the written information and CD-ROM groups across recall questions about number of drugs received ( p=.43 ) , treatment length ( p=.23 ) , and treatment goal ( p=.69 ) . Binary logistic regressions indicated that for groups combined different variables predicted each of the recall questions . CONCLUSION An interactive CD-ROM did not improve cancer patients '  recall of treatment information enough to warrant changes in consent procedures . PRACTICE IMPLICATION S Different variables predicted recall of different treatment aspects highlighting the complex nature of attempting to improve patient recall . Attending to the effect of depression on patient knowledge and underst and ing appears paramount
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 .