Impact of the systematic use of the informed consent form at public dental care units in Galicia (Spain)

• Published in: Medicina oral, patología oral y cirugía bucal Vol. 13; no. 6; pp. E380 - E384
• Main Authors: Rubiños López, Emilio, Rodríguez Vázquez, Luis Miguel, Varela Centelles, Almudena, Varela Otero, Flor, Blanco Otero, Ana Isabel, Fernández Fraga, Carlos, Varela Centelles, Pablo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Spain 01.06.2008
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Child; Child, Preschool; Dental Clinics; Dentistry; Female; Hospitals, Public; Humans; Infant; Informed Consent - standards; Informed Consent - statistics & numerical data; Male; Middle Aged; Oral Surgical Procedures; Records as Topic; Spain; Spain
• ISSN: 1698-6946

To ascertain the impact of routine application of the informed consent form at the primary dental care units of the Galician Health Service. Non random selection of consecutive patients seeking tooth extraction between 9 January and 7 March 2007 at the dental care units of Burela, Praza do Ferrol and Viveiro (Lugo). The study included sociodemographic, clinical, utilization, behavioural and IC-related variables. A total of 462 patients, mainly males (n=249; 53.9%) entered the study. The mean age of the participants was 57.87+/-17.54 years. 93.7% of the patients gave their consent for tooth extraction, whereas 47.3% did not want to be informed. The average time employed for obtaining the informed consent was 3.40+/-1.87 minutes, with a median of 4 and the same mode. The referred stress values did not differ before and after reading the informed consent form 3.28+/-2.52 vs 3.41+/-2.45 (p=0.661). Routine application of the informed consent form before tooth extraction under local anaesthesia did not impair clinical practice nor is it a barrier to dental care. The use of this form does not require changes beyond the allocation of the time necessary for its completion.