¹Dr Baiju R M,²Dr Elbe Peter,³Dr Vivek Narayan,⁴Dr Roshna E K,⁵Dr Abhilash Babu,
⁶Dr Nandimath Omprakash V

¹Professor, Department of Periodontics, Government Dental College, Kottayam

²Professor and Head,Department of Orthodontics, Government Dental College, Thrissur

³Assistant Professor, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Government Dental College, Kottayam

⁴Senior Resident, Department of Periodontics, Government Dental College, Kottayam.

⁵Director, School of Social Sciences, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam

⁶Professor of Law, National Law School of India University, Bangalore

DOI : https://doi.org/10.47191/ijsshr/v6-i2-32

Google Scholar Download Pdf
ABSTRACT

Context: The push for autonomy and liberalization has transformed the practice of medicine and dentistry from paternalism to a patient cantered model. Patient’s choice to accept or reject the proposed treatment is central to this new paradigm of health care. Informed consent is an essential tool for an ethical dental practice. Aim: The objective of the present study was to explore the knowledge, attitudes, perceptions and prevailing practices among dentists regarding the informed consent process. Materials and methods: A phenomenological approach was undertaken. A semi structured telephonic interview was conducted based on a flexible topic guide and continued until data saturation. Statistical analysis: The data was transcribed verbatim. Coding and categorisation done. Anonymity was ensured in all steps. The data was subjected to a thematic analysis. Results: Participants were apprehensive about the influence of social media on the new paradigm of doctor patient relationship and the increasing utility of specialists as a protection from litigation. Lack of clarity regarding the consent method has prevented its routine application. Conclusions: It can be concluded that a comprehensive understanding regarding informed consent process was lacking among the participants

KEYWORDS:

consent, informed consent, autonomy, dental litigation

REFERENCES

1) Nandimath OV. Consent and medical treatment: The legal paradigm in India. Indian j Urol. 2009 Jul;25(3):343.

2) Gupta VV, Bhat N, Asawa K, Tak M, Bapat S, Chaturvedi P. Knowledge and attitude toward informed consent among private dental practitioners in bathinda city, punjab, India. Osong Public Health Res Perspect . 2015 Apr 1;6(2):73-8.

3) Thavarajah R, Saranya V, Priya B. The Indian dental litigation landscape: An analysis of judgments on dental negligence claims in Indian consumer redressal forums. J Forensic Leg Med. 2019 Nov 1;68:101863.

4) Amrita DB. Health care social media: expectations of users in a developing country. Med 2.0. 2013 Jul;2(2).

5) Smailhodzic E, Hooijsma W, Boonstra A, Langley DJ. Social media use in healthcare: A systematic review of effects on patients and on their relationship with healthcare professionals. BMC Health Serv. Res.2016 Dec;16(1):1-4.

6) Dash L.Healthcare Shopping: The new age of consumerism .The Financial Express. 2020 Jul 06

7) Mahal A, Mohanan M. Growth of private medical education in India. Med. Educ. 2006 Oct;40(10):1009-11.

8) Neelakantan M. Is Competition Law the Analgesic for the Indian Healthcare Sector. Nat'l L. Sch. India Rev. 2015;27:157.

9) Thomas S. Plenty and scarcity. Br Dent J. 2013;214(1):4. DOI: 10.1038/sj.bdj.2013.4

10) Nomani MZ, Rahman F, Alhalboosi AK. Consumer Protection Act, 2019 and its implications for the medical profession and health care services in India. J. Indian Acad. Forensic Med.2019;41(4):282-5.

11) Farhat W, Qiam F, Shah SM, Khan M, Khan H. Informed consent in dentistry: Percieved importance and limitations in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa. Cell J. 2013 Jun;333:9155592.

12) Gupta BD. The Indian medical council (professional conduct, etiquette and ethics) regulations, 2002: critical review and suggestions. Indian J. Forensic Med. Toxicol. 2003;20(1):4-7.

13) Holden AC, Stewart C. A review of the law of consent in dentistry. Aust. Dent. J.2019 Sep;64(3):208-12.

VOlUME 06 ISSUE 02 FEBRUARY 2023