Objective-To investigate how patients included in trials on treatment in the early phase of acute myocardial infarction experience the consent procedure. Design-A combined qualitative and quantitative interview concerning the patients' knowledge of the trial, their feelings about being asked to participate, and their attitudes towards the consent procedure. Setting-Tertiary referral centre. Patients-31 patients who had given written informed consent for their participation in randomised intervention trials of acute myocardial infarction. Results-The patients interviewed had only fragmentary knowledge about the trial they were involved in. Most considered that reading and signing a consent form was an unwanted or unnecessary procedure. Instead, they would have preferred to have been given concise verbal information about the study. Most were willing to allow a physician to decide for them in the event of their being too ill to be asked about their participation. Conclusions-Patients who are asked to participate in intervention trials in the early phase of acute myocardial infarction often appear to lack suYcient knowledge to reach an autonomous choice. There were problems and disadvantages associated with the process of obtaining written informed consent in this particular situation, especially regarding the need for the patient to sign a consent form during the acute phase of the disease. (Heart 2001;86:632-637)
The respondents were confronted by a matter of fact. They needed an ICD and were given an offer they could not refuse, simply because life was precious to them. Being able to give well-informed consent seemed to be a matter of less importance for them.
Abstract. A Ê ga Êrd A, Hermere Ân G, Herlitz J (Lund University and Sahlgrens University Hospital, Go Ète-borg, Sweden). Should cardiopulmonary resuscitation be performed on patients with heart failure? The role of the patient in the decision-making process. J Intern Med 2000; 248: 279±286.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.