Patient, Nurse, Medical Assistant, and Surgeon Perspectives Inform the Development of a Decision Support Tool for Inguinal Hernia Surgery: A Qualitative Analysis

Abstract

Background: Critical perspectives on the informed consent process for inguinal hernia surgery are lacking.

Methods: We conducted focus group interviews of patients who have undergone inguinal hernia surgery and nurses/medical assistants. Individual phone interviews were also conducted with surgeons sampled from the International Hernia Collaboration. Interviews were transcribed for coding and qualitative thematic analysis performed using NVivo 12 Plus. Themes were compiled to develop a decision aid.

Results: Sixteen patients, 6 support staff members, and 12 surgeons participated. Multiple themes were identified. Patients, nurses, and medical assistants identified barriers to asking questions in the current clinic setup, patient stress, and time constraints, while surgeons identified strategies to implement decision aids. All participants agreed that decision aids improve the informed consent process.

Conclusion: Key stakeholders identified barriers to the informed consent process and provided input on necessary components of a decision aid. Opportunities exist to address these barriers and improve the consent process.

Keywords: Consent; Decision aid; Inguinal hernia.