• Mehek Gupta, Sudharsan Madhavan, Felicia Siok Ying Teo, Jee Keem Low, and Vishal G Shelat.
• Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
• Singap Med J. 2024 Feb 1; 65 (2): 919891-98.

IntroductionIn a patient-centric health system, it is essential to know patients' views about informed consent. The objective of this study was to understand the perceptions of the local population regarding informed consent.MethodsSpanning 6 weeks from January 2016 to March 2016, a cross-sectional survey of adults attending the General Surgery outpatient clinics at Tan Tock Seng Hospital was conducted. Sociodemographic data, lifestyle- and health-related information, perception and purpose of consent forms, and decision-making preferences were studied.ResultsA total of 445 adults participated in the survey. Most participants were aged below 40 years ( n = 265, 60.1%), female ( n = 309, 70.1%) and degree holders ( n = 196, 44.4%). Also, 56.9% of participants wanted to know every possible risk, while 28.3% wanted to know the common and serious risks. On multivariate analysis, age (61-74 years: odds ratio [OR] 11.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.2-56.1, P = 0.004; age >75 years: OR 22.2, 95% CI 1.8-279.1, P = 0.017) was a predictor of not wanting to know any risks. Age also predicted risk of disclosure for death (age 61-74 years: OR 13.4, 95% CI 4.2-42.6, P < 0.001; age >75 years: OR 32.0, 95% CI 4.5-228.0, P = 0.001). Most participants (48.1%) preferred making shared decisions with doctors, and an important predictor was employment status (OR 4.8, 95% CI 1.9-12.2, P = 0.001).ConclusionSociodemographic factors and educational level influence decision-making, and therefore, the informed consent process should be tailored for each patient.Copyright © 2024 Copyright: © 2024 Singapore Medical Journal.

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