Sultana Habibullah, Salahuddin Afsar, Tehzeeb Anwar.
Practice of informed consent for the treatment of tuberculosis.
J Dow Uni Health Sci Jan ;2(3):97-101.

Objective: To find out the practice of informed consent obtained and opinion for seeking it, from patients enrolled under direct observation treatment short course for the treatment of tuberculosis in three public sector chest clinics of Karachi and recommendations accordingly. Study design: A cross-sectional hospital based survey. Methodology: This survey was conducted on 138 patients selected by systematic random sampling method from Lyari, Nazimabad and Malir chest clinics of Karachi. Independent variables of this study were age, gender, educational level, socio-economic status, place of residence and habits of the patients enrolled in direct observation treatment short course. Dependent variables of this study were information about the diagnosis of the disease, drug’s dose, duration, intake method, its side effects and voluntary consent/approval for enrolling in the treatment regime prescribed by the health care provider. Inclusion criteria of this study were confirmed diagnosed case of tuberculosis according to criteria set by the said clinic, in the initial intensive phase of the treatment. Exclusion criteria were patients of tuberculosis given treatment on trial basis or patients in the continuation phase of treatment. Results: It was found that 100% patients had no knowledge of informed consent. Patients were informed only verbally about their diagnosis, drugs required to treat their illness, its dose, duration, intake method and side effects by the health staff. Thirty percent patients were unable to recall which part of their body was affected by the disease; 90% remembered the duration of therapy without understanding the difference of initial intensive or continuation phase of the treatment, 57% were taking drugs in the presence of a responsible person; 48% recalled the reason for direct observation of drug intake and 72% were found to be in favor of seeking consent before enrolling themselves in direct observation treatment short course. Conclusion: In this study it was found that the practice of obtaining informed consent was below the standard level of international and ethical acceptability in the studied public sector chest clinics of Karachi.

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