National survey for practice of "informed consent" in the radiology departments

Introduction: Informed consent (IC) is an important medical document with regard to its contents, the procedures for which it should be obtained and method for obtaining it. In this survey we wanted to determine the present standard of community practice in Pakistan with regard to the use of informed consent for I.V. contrast enhanced radiography and interventional imaging. This is to improve upon the local practices of important issues related to the field of diagnostic and interventional imaging and to bring them at the international standards. Material and Methods: A questionnaire was designed which was to be filled in by consultants, head of the department / incharge of the interventional radiology section. Fifty five questionnaires were distributed and 26 responses were received. The centers were selected randomly from those where some sort of radiology procedures were done requiring informed consent, including government (n=16) and private (n=10) centers. Most important issues regarding the concepts and practice of the Informed Consent (IC) in the radiology departments of Pakistan were addressed in the form of questions. Results: Written departmental policy for the Informed consent is present in 20 (77%) radiology centers in Pakistan, while Informed consent is taken in the formal way (in writing) in 17 (64.5%) centers. Conclusion: Informed consent is an important medical and medicolegal document, which is being under practiced in our country and there is a need to understand its importance in various aspects of quality care so as to bring our local practices at international standards.