ABSTRACT
Patients need information. To consent to treatment or procedures they must be fully informed. The nature of the clinical consultation means that, inevitably, the length of the consultation is constrained by time. Even when the consultation provides an opportunity to discuss issues in depth, the patient and family often do not understand what they are told and wish to review the information later. The tendency not to take information on board is especially true in a consultation associated with an emotionally heightened atmosphere. This is often the case in breaking bad news or in a situation in which the patient is anxious and fearful. The need to understand what has been said may be helped by patient information leaflets focusing on the issues raised. However, patients may seek further information and clarification for themselves and they now have access to more information than ever before via the Internet and the Worldwide Web.1
