A Content Evaluation of Informed Consent Documents for Invasive Procedures Used in Health Facilities in Southern Nigeria

Introduction: A properly-designed informed consent form could help in the use and preservation of relevant information as well as enrich the worth of patient-physician dealings. This research sought to find out if informed consent forms used in health facilities in Benin City, Edo State contained the essential elements of informed consent. Methods: The study was carried out in 38 health facilities (3 public health facilities, and 35 private health facilities) in Benin City, the administrative headquarter of Edo State, South-south, Nigeria. A checklist was utilized to appraise informed consent documents used in these health facilities to determine their adequacy in terms of the critical elements contained in it. The checklist was developed based on the contents of the prototype form (proforma) provided by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN). The checklist consisted of “Yes” and “No” sections corresponding to the 16 items considered necessary for valid consent documentation. Results: None of the consent forms in public health facilities had a notation that the benefits of proposed management or procedure were clarified, that the patient clearly understood the language of presentation or that the choice to ruminate on the procedure for a while prior to giving assent was offered to the patient. Only 11.4% of forms examined in private health facilities had a notation that the benefits and risk of the intended management option or procedure were explained to the patient. Conclusion: Many consent forms currently in use in health facilities in Benin City did not wholly adopt the contents of the proforma provided by the MDCN. Most informed consent documents examined in this study lacked the essential elements of informed consent.