Patient Perception of Informed Consent and Its Associated Factors among Surgical Patients Attending Public Hospitals in Dessie City Administration, Northeast Ethiopia

BACKGROUND: Poor perception of informed consent compromises patients' autonomy and self-determination; as a result, they feel powerless and unaccountable for their treatment. This study aimed to assess patients' perception of informed consent and its associated factors among surgical patients attending public hospitals in Dessie City Administration, Northeast Ethiopia. METHODS: Facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 422 surgical patients. A systematic sampling technique was used to select the study participants. Data were collected using a pretested structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. EpiData version 3.1 was used for data entry, and then data were exported to SPSS version 25 for analysis. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was done to identify factors associated with the outcome variable among the participants. Variables with p value less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant factors. RESULTS: The prevalence of poor perception of informed consent for surgical procedures was found to be 33.2% (95% CI: 28.8–37.8). In multivariable analysis, educational status with inability to read and write (AOR = 5.71; 95% CI: 2.76–11.80) and basic ability to read and write (AOR = 6.03; 95% CI: 2.57–14.16), rural residence (AOR = 3.71; 95% CI: 1.94–7.07), marital status being widowed and divorced (AOR = 3.85; 95% CI: 1.83–8.08), language of written informed consent different from mother tongue (AOR = 4.196; 95% CI: 1.12–15.78), poor patient-physician relationship (AOR = 2.35; 95% CI: 1.31–4.24), and poor knowledge of surgical informed consent (AOR = 3.05; 95% CI: 1.56–5.97) were significantly associated with poor perception of surgical informed consent. CONCLUSION: In this study, one-third of surgical patients appear to have poor perceptions of informed consent for surgical procedures. Educational status, being rural residents, being widowed/divorced, language of written informed consent, poor patient-physician relationship, and poor knowledge of surgical informed consent were variables that are independent predictors of poor perception of informed consent for surgical procedures. The ministry of health and healthcare providers should develop a plan to raise patients' awareness about the informed consent process for surgical procedures.