Videos for informed consent enable task shifting while enhancing patient safety and satisfaction: a retrospective study

Informed consent with video assistance provides patients with standardized information regarding complex clinical procedures. We explored the potential of completely replacing conventional face-to-face informed consent processes involving written documents with videos for informed consent (VIC) in the context of anesthesia. A legally satisfactory VIC was developed to provide standardized information to patients and facilitate their understanding of anesthetic procedures, including their risks, benefits, and alternatives. In this single-center retrospective study, informed consent process-related data were extracted from two patient groups who underwent conventional informed consent and VIC. The opinions of the anesthesiologists were collected to evaluate workflow efficiency before and after VIC introduction. Statistical comparisons were performed using the Mann–Whitney U test. Before VIC implementation, bedside IC required a median total time of 45 [30–60] min, including 10 [5–10] min of travel time and 35 [25–50] min for anesthesia explanation. After VIC adoption, bedside IC was completely eliminated, and the median duration for outpatient IC decreased to 21 [14–30] min for conventional IC and 17 [12–22] min for VIC (p < 0.001). Approximately 97% of patients reported that VIC aided them in obtaining an explanation of the anesthesia, and 94% of patients who received VIC sufficiently understood the content of the informed consent. After the VIC introduction, 80% of patients reported that they would choose an outpatient clinic with a VIC over a conventional informed consent if given the option. Before and after 6 months of adopting VIC, 53% and 69% of anesthesiologists felt favorably about VIC, increasing to 86% after one year of VIC adoption. VIC introduction successfully redistributed anesthesiologists’ workload and eliminated the need for bedside IC, while maintaining patient comprehension and satisfaction. These findings suggest that the standardized, repetitive components of the informed consent process are suitable candidates for digital transformation.