Remembering Risk: Using Visual Risk Display of MINS to Obtain Informed Consent to Undergo Elective Surgery

Dr. Michael McMullen

Status: Unknown

Conditions: Risk

Treatments: Other: Scripted Risk Discussion; Other: Visual Aid

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04247841

TRAQ #: 6028012

Details and patient eligibility

About

Disclosure of anticipated risks to individuals considering undergoing an operative procedure is an important aspect of informed consent process. Recent Canadian Guidelines have highlighted the importance of perioperative risk discussion within the context of preoperative assessment but there is little prior research into potential interventions to optimize the communication of risks. Myocaridal injury (MINS) is the most common complication and this study is focused on determining the effectiveness of current communication strategies in our presurgical consultations and to quantifying the impact of introducing a visual aid and scripted risk discussions has on patients ability to recall their individualized perioperative risk of myocardial injury.

Full description

Informed consent is an important aspect of the patient-physician relationship. Prior to agreeing to undergo treatment patients must have risks and benefits disclosed to a "reasonable patient" standard.1 The 2016 Canadian Cardiovascular Society Guidelines on Perioperative Cardiac Risk Assessment strongly recommend the communication of perioperative cardiac risk to patients.2 Myocardial injury is the most common post-operative complications and has significant impact on patient outcomes including survival.2. However, very few studies have examined the communication of risk to patients, particularly when communicating perioperative cardiac risk.

The aim of this study is a 2-stage research project to address current practice in perioperative risk communication and examine opportunity to improve communication and patient education.

Phase One is structured to assess the current practices with respect to cardiac risk discussion at our academic center. During this initial phase, a survey will be offered after the PSS consultation to patients > 45 years old, seen in consult prior to elective orthopedic surgery requiring an overnight admission to KHSC. The survey will assess current risk discussion practices, patient satisfaction with cardiac risk discussion, ability to recall cardiac risk, importance of cardiac risk disclosure, and seek general feedback from participants.

Phase Two of this study is structured to assess the effectiveness of incorporating the use of structured, scripted risk discussion with and without the use of a visual aid. The patients will complete the survey instrument immediately after their PSS consultation to assess patient satisfaction with cardiac risk discussion, recall of risk, importance of cardiac risk discussion from the patients' perspective, and general feedback will be sought regarding perioperative education.

A subset of consenting patients during both Phase I and II will be followed-up post operatively (within 48h) to assess recall of preoperative cardiac risk discussion.

Our study group hypothesizes that the use of visual representation of perioperative risk of Myocardial Injury after Non-Cardiac Surgery during the pre-anesthetic assessment will improve the patients' satisfaction with the cardiac risk discussion and their understanding and retention of the risk in the post-operative period.

Enrollment: 456 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 45+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Patients 45 years of age or older who are seen in Presurgical Screening Clinic by an anesthesiologist prior to elective hip or knee arthroplasty at Kingston Health Sciences Centre.

Exclusion criteria

• Unable to provide consent due to communication/language barrier
• Prior enrollment in this study
• No planned admission to hospital ( Same - Day joint arthroplasty)

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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456 participants in 3 patient groups

Phase I: Current Practice

No Intervention group

Description:

This represents the first phase of the study in which a prospective cohort of patients will complete the survey to define baseline rates of recall of perioperative risk and level of patient satisfaction with risk discussion

Phase II Visual Aid & Scripted Risk Discussion

Experimental group

Description:

This will involve a group of patients randomized to receive their perioperative risk discussion supplemented with the use of a visual aid in addition to a scripted discussion of their personalized perioperative risk of myocardial injury (MINS) during their consultation with an anesthesiologist in the PSS clinic.

Treatment:

Other: Visual Aid

Other: Scripted Risk Discussion

Phase II Scripted Risk Discussion

Active Comparator group

Description:

This will involve a group of patients randomized to receive a scripted discussion of their personalized perioperative risk of myocardial injury (MINS) during their consultation with an anesthesiologist in the PSS clinic.

Treatment:

Other: Scripted Risk Discussion