Informed consent challenges: A mixed-methods study of hospital ethics consultations
Journal of Clinical Ethics, 2025
This study analyzed 4,127 hospital ethics consults to better understand real-world challenges in consent discussions. Consent-related consults (3.3%) more often involved adult and female patients and were typically lower in complexity than non-consent consults. Common issues included capacity, surrogate decision-making, and communication barriers, with capacity concerns significantly linked to surrogate decision-making issues. These findings highlight key areas to improve consent protocols and support ethical clinical care.
Recommended citation: Habib DRS, Naranjo C, Langerman AJ. Informed consent challenges: A mixed-methods study of hospital ethics consultations. J Clin Ethics. 2025;36(3):215-223. doi:10.1086/736146