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 Choice Assistance for Women Making Uterine Fibroid Treatment Decisions: A Practical Clinical Trial
Background . There is limited evidence about how to ensure that patients are helped to make informed medical care decisions . Objective . To test a decision support intervention for uterine fibroid treatments . Design and Setting . Practical clinical trial to test informed choice assistance in 4 r and omly assigned gynecology clinics compared to 5 others providing a pamphlet . Patients . Three hundred women facing a treatment decision for fibroids over a 13-month period . Intervention . Mailed DVD and brochure about fibroid treatments plus the Ottawa decision guide and an offer of counseling soon after an index visit . Measurements . Mailed survey 6 to 8 weeks later asking about knowledge , preferences , and satisfaction with decision support . Results . In total , 244 surveys were completed for an adjusted response rate of 85.4 % . On a 5-point scale , intervention subjects reported more treatment options being mentioned ( 3.0 v. 2.4 ) , had a higher knowledge score ( 3.3 v. 2.8 ) , and were more likely to report being adequately informed ( 4.4 v. 4.0 ) , and their decision was both more satisfactory ( 4.3 v. 4.0 ) and more consistent with their personal values ( 4.5 v. 4.2 ) . Neither knowledge nor use of the intervention was associated with greater concordance between preferences and decisions . Limitations . Implementation of intervention may not have been well timed to the decision for some patients , limiting their use of the material s and counseling . Conclusion . It is difficult to integrate structured decision support consistently into practice . Decision support for benign uterine conditions showed effects on knowledge and satisfaction but not on concordance
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 .