Video Consent: a Pilot Study of Informed Consent in Laparoscopic Urology and Its Impact on Patient Satisfaction

OBJECTIVES: In the current climate of increasing awareness, patients are demanding more knowledge of the operative process. We report a new protocol for consenting patients. In addition to the normal consent process, patients are invited to watch a video of the operation to gain a perspective of what is involved. We applied this novel method of consent and assessed its impact on patient satisfaction. METHODS: As part of postoperative follow-up, prospective data from 43 consecutive laparoscopic patients was obtained in the form of a self-constructed, patient-directed questionnaire regarding the consenting process. Patients were also invited to complete the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ-8) 4 weeks after their operation. Laparoscopic workload included nephrectomy (n=27), deroofing of cysts (n=2), pyeloplasty (n=6), exploration for undescended testis (n=6), lymph node dissection (n=1), and nephropexy (n=1). To reduce bias, an individual independent of the team treating the patient conducted these surveys. RESULTS: All study participants read the information leaflet before laparoscopic surgery, and 81% thought we should give patients the option to watch a video before their surgery. The leaflet information was understood by 92% of patients. All patients who opted to watch a video found it helpful to their understanding, and 75% requested a copy of the video of their own operation. The mean patient satisfaction (CSQ-8) score was 29.8 of a possible maximum score of 32. CONCLUSIONS: This novel approach to informed consent has had a positive impact on the patient journey as is evident from high satisfaction scores. Additional randomized, controlled trials need to be conducted to evaluate video consenting methods in laparoscopic urology.