423 Implementation of Standardised Consent Forms for Hip Fracture Surgery: A Quality Improvement Project

Aim Informed consent is pivotal for patient care. We assessed the quality of written consenting for surgical management of neck of femur fractures (NOFF) at a UK District General Hospital. This resulted in the development of standardised consent forms to promote best clinical practice. Method A retrospective review of consent forms for 50 consecutive patients admitted with NOFF from July 2023 evaluated legibility, documentation of procedure name, benefits, risks, and consenter details. Standardised consent forms endorsed by the British Orthopaedic Association were used as a standard and a guide for our standardised consent forms, introduced in September 2023. We reviewed the compliance with the new forms for inpatients with NOFF in October 2023 (n=21). Results On consent 1 forms (n = 37), nearly 60% lacked documentation of benefits (pain relief and mobility), and 78% missed more than 5 risks. All forms were legible and 98% completed by speciality registrars or consultants. Venous thromboembolism was documented on all forms. Chronic pain, stiffness and death were missed on most forms. Procedure name was the only documentation found on consent 4 forms. The new standardised forms included both consent 1 and 4 forms and were utilised in 86% of cases. Users of the new form also included foundation year 2 doctors who clerked the patients on admission. Conclusions Standardised forms prevent oversight of crucial procedure risks, facilitate time efficiency, and instil confidence in junior team members to consent. Future steps aim to extend this standardised approach to other common orthopaedic procedures, like wrist and ankle fracture fixations.