Informed consent practices among emergency staff for patients undergoing emergency surgery in the emergency surgical units of two tertiary teaching hospitals in Uganda: a qualitative study

Although knowledge about consent practices by emergency staff at both institutions was good, in practice there was inadequate disclosure of risks, inadequate knowledge about the surgical procedure, risks, and benefits. Emergency staff identified the need for procedure specific consent documents which capture the information that is given to the patient and guiding policies on consent for incapacitated patients who have no surrogates.