LAUSR

BACKGROUND Informed consent is a complex process that is legally required before any surgical procedure. PURPOSE The purpose of this manuscript was to perform a concept analysis of the informed consent process. METHODS The use of dimensional analysis identified three separate yet related perspectives of the informed consent process: legal, health care, and patients. A database search using the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature and PubMed were performed. FINDINGS A total of 27 publications were reviewed. The legal perspective addresses the requirement of informed consent, which starts with the discussion between the health care provider and the patient undergoing the surgical procedure and ends with a signature on a piece of paper. The health care perspective also addresses the legal requirement but incorporates the goals and objectives of the individual initiating the informed consent discussion. The patients' perspectives also incorporate goals and objectives; however, they differ from that of the health care provider in that they go beyond what happens in the operating room or during hospitalization. DISCUSSION Viewing informed consent through these different yet related perspectives provides insight into this complex process and may enhance the researcher's ability to understand and improve the informed consent process.