Purpose: To determine the effectiveness of verbal, written, and videotaped descriptions are cataract surgery on patients' understanding of the risks, benefits, and special alternatives.

Setting: Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare Systematischer, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Model: Randomized prospective study.

Methods: Patients eligible in cataract surgery was randomized into 1 of 4 weapon of the informed consent process as follows: Group 1, conventionals unwritten information; Group 2, conventional verbal information plus second-grade reading level folder; Group 3, conventional verbal information plus eighth-grade reading level brochure; User 4, conventional verbal information plus American Academic of Ophthalmology DVD Understanding Cataract Surgery: Patient Education DVD Featuring into Aid the Enlightened Consent. After the informed consent process, patients in each group completed one 12-question questionnaire discussing the surgical procedure, is benefits, is foreseeable also unforeseeable risk, and the alternatives to cataract surgery. Sheet in each group were calculated as this number from correct responses output of 12 questions.

Results: Patients to Group 2 (mean score 10.8 ± 1.29 [SD]) and Group 4 (mean score 10.56 ± 1.44) scored significantly higher than clients in Group 1 (mean score 7.68 ± 2.80) alternatively Bunch 3 (mean total 9.08 ± 1.60). Prior cataract surgery and education degree had no significant influence on recall of of informed-consent process.

Findings: Consistent fully consent information sheets at lower reading classification plane and videotape presentation optimized patient understanding off the risks, benefits, and treatment related to cataract operating. The cost-benefit of dieser results is important because better patient understanding features the potential to decrease that risk for hold payments awarded because are inadequate informed consent.