A recent survey found that women have a preference for receiving as much or more information pertaining to complications associated with particular elective obstetric or gynecological procedures as other elective procedures.

• Journal of Medical Ethics study looked at the preferences of patients for information related to elective procedures. A survey was given out to a sample of 187 women (ages 15 to 62), most of whom were low-income and who obtained obstetric or gynecological services at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The study found that with many of the complications, including those that are uncommon and less serious, were considered to be relevant to the medical decisions of most patients. The women surveyed indicated a preference for receiving as much or more information pertaining to complications associated with particular elective obstetric or gynecological procedures as other elective procedures. They also rated many complications as serious and said that they would be likely to use any information provided to them to make elective treatment decisions.¹

¹Women’s Preferences for Information and Complication Seriousness Ratings Related to Elective Medical Procedures, Journal of Medical Ethics, July 2006, p. 435.

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