RISCS - Risks in spinal consenting for surgery

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    RISCS Trial – Risks In Spinal Consenting for Surgery.

  • IRAS ID

    200953

  • Contact name

    Paul Thorpe

  • Contact email

    paul.thorpe@tst.nhs.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    Taunton & Somerset NHS Foundation Trust

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    0 years, 8 months, 1 days

  • Research summary

    This trial will address the research question of whether there are increase rates of consent withdraw for patients receiving spinal injections when using a legal centred consent form compared to a medical centred consent form. A recent legal case means that doctors should no longer decide how much and what information a patient should be given by their doctor prior to a procedure; all information may be relevant to the patient should something go wrong. This change in the consenting process has not been widely adopted by the surgical profession mainly due to a concern of over burdening a patient with incredibly rare risks.
    This single centre trial will randomise patients having elective spinal injections to have either a standard ‘medical centred’ consent form (control) or a trial ‘legal centred’ consent form (intervention), the latter having 5 times as many risks stated on it. The primary end point is rates of consent withdraw, with the trial of 220 patients (110 per group) expected to last 6 1/2 months.

  • REC name

    South Central - Hampshire B Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    16/SC/0510

  • Date of REC Opinion

    6 Dec 2016

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion