Information Asymmetry Between Physicians and Patients Undergoing Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: Analysis of Patients’ Awareness Level

Abstract Background: Obtaining informed consent is essential before conducting a healthcare intervention. Primary reason for obtaining informed consent is to eliminate asymmetry information between the physicians and patients. The aim of this study was to determine the significance of information symmetry between physicians and patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy.Methods: An analytical study was carried out in 2019. Moreover, the research population consisted of patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. As for the data collection tool, a researcher-made questionnaire was introduced. The validity and reliability of this questionnaire was confirmed. Questionnaire had five sections and Cronbach's alpha of 0.85 was achieved. The data were then analyzed by SPSS Version: 18.0.Results: A total of 96 patients participated in the study, where around 30% of them were male. Only 20.3% of patients specified that they were aware of possible complications of their treatment, of which 62% cited their physician as the main source of this information. On the other hand, 80% of patients were fully aware of the benefits of their treatment.Conclusions: The information asymmetry between physicians and patients about the benefits and complications of treatments should be somehow eliminated and the crucial information about the chosen treatment plan or alternative courses of action should be fully provided to the patient by the attending physician or nurse.