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Recently, after a family member experienced a delayed diagnosis and wasn't given enough information about their treatment, which had some really difficult consequences, I've been thinking about informed consent and whether women are actually given enough information to understand what they're agreeing to. I'm also interested in whether women are given a consent form and enough time to go through it properly.
Not only must the correct information be given clearly, but the patient must also be made aware of any risks, alternatives, recovery, etc. and most importantly, the possible complications so they can look out for and hopefully avoid and prevent anything from going worse.
Research indicates that there are so many patients who expressed not being thoroughly informed when making treatment decisions and that they are not fully aware of their condition, and even more so with the treatment options.
Some of the various things that can really affect this process are the timing of information shared, the terminology being used and the provider/patient relationship. In one study, they have noted that the risk of surgery has not been well communicated, and when they do, it happens too late.
Another study made a point that additional explanations, written materials and some techniques can really help to explain things better.
For instance, women may not even be told about things such as postpartum haemorrhage, hysterectomy, or damage to internal organs. Thus, this consent process is not always done in a timely way or to the full extent necessary.
That is why I think it is necessary to hear more about women’s experiences.
Have you given consent for treatment and later realised there were some areas that you were not clear about?
For example: Did you know all of the possible complications?
Were alternatives made known to you?
Did you have any knowledge of what aftercare should involve?
Were you provided with information about the possible long-term effects?
Were you provided with enough time to ask questions?
Did you feel comfortable asking questions?
I am eager to hear your stories regarding hysterectomies, c-sections, cancer treatment, endometriosis, sterilization or even radiation for pelvic or breast cancer.**
Did you really feel as if you had enough information to make an informed choice?**
I'm not suggesting that medical professionals are not doing their jobs appropriately regarding providing the information. Rather, I am interested in the difference between “the information was given” and “I really understood what I agreed to.”
Sharing women's experiences can help open up awareness in this area,and hopefully help improve this gap for women in the future.
References:
Nithiyananthan, M., Nicholls, J., Whitten, M., Maslowski, K., & Lanceley, A. (2025). Women’s experience of the consent process to planned caesarean section and its surgical risk: A qualitative study. BJOG:https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-0528.18049
Pietrzykowski, T., & Smilowska, K. (2021). The reality of informed consent: Empirical studies on patient comprehension. Systematic review. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-020-04969-w
Sullivan, J. M., Voltz, S. E., Burch, D., et al. (2020). Interventions to improve patient comprehension in informed consent for medical and surgical procedures: An updated systematic review. Medical Decision Making. https://doi.org/10.1177/0272989X19896348
