Comparison of Spanish-Speaking Parental Understanding Using Two Alternative Consent Pathways.

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the understanding of Spanish-speaking caregivers consenting to dental care using general anesthesia (GA) utilizing two consent-delivery pathways. Methods: Seventy-eight parents of children who never had GA were randomly assigned to one of two groups: (1) interpreter; or (2) video; they completed a survey to evaluate comfort level with GA and comprehension of areas of informed consent. Results: Most parents in both groups understood the risks associated with GA (89 percent in the interpreter group and 90 percent in the video group). The majority of families had difficulty understanding indications for GA (64 percent in the interpreter group versus 60 percent in the video group). Overall, 97 percent of participants believed they sufficiently understood the information presented about GA. The mean score for comfort level with GA was 7.03 for the interpreter group and 6.82 for the video group. Conclusion: Consent pathways used in this study were not significantly different for risk understanding and acquisition of consent-related knowledge.