Albertan Orthodontists’ Perceived Challenges and Strategies to Obtain Adult Patients’ Informed Consent

• Author / Creator

  Moreira, Narjara

• Introduction: Informed consent (IC) is a communication process between a patient and a doctor that often leads to agreement or permission for health care management. For the IC process to be effective, provision of appropriate and accurate information to patients is fundamental and must be followed by patients’ understanding and ability to remember information that had been previously discussed with the health care provider. Evidence on informed consent processes for orthodontic treatments suggests that patients’ comprehension and recollection rates should be a cause for concern.
  Objectives: This study was designed to better understand, from a provider’s perspective: 1) how orthodontic informed consents are obtained from adult patients in Alberta; 2) identify the barriers orthodontists perceive when obtaining informed consent from their adult patients; and 3) identify the strategies employed by these professionals to improve patients’ comprehension or recollection of treatment information.
  Method: An exploratory investigation using qualitative description was conducted. Participants were recruited through a combination of purposeful and snowball sampling. Data were collected until saturation was reached, through audio-recorded, semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Quality and credibility were achieved by employing the strategies of member checks, memo writing, and analyst triangulation.
  Results: Final sample consisted of 12 orthodontists working in 8 different cities in Alberta. Three themes were identified: the flow of the orthodontic informed consent process, challenges interfering with the informed consent process, and strategies to optimize information delivery and communication.
  Conclusion: This study described the rich experience of orthodontists practicing in Alberta, Canada, in obtaining informed consent from adult patients. The participants reported barriers that may be overlooked in the daily routine of orthodontic practices. Finally, information was provided that may serve as guidance for orthodontists to overcome or minimize these challenges, improving the quality of consent processes, and increasing the chances of having more informed patients.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Informed Consent
  • Qualitative Description
  • Orthodontics

• Graduation date

  Fall 2019

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/r3-bh0a-cq24

• License

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