Ethical aspect in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy in Iran

Background: Gastroenterologists are required to obtain consent before undertaking any endoscopic examination. Published data indicate that in practice there are many defi- ciencies in this process. The aim of this survey was to determine the quality of information given to patients before the endoscopic procedures in Iran. Methods: A structured questionnaire about patient's informed consent before en- doscopy was used. In the 3rd Iranian international congress of gastroenterology and hepa- tology, 100 endoscopists (gastroenterologist or internist) participated in this study regard- ing the quality of informed consent. Results: 90% of these physicians were male and 57% of them worked in Tehran (capi- tal of Iran). The distribution of positive answers were as follow: Detailed information regarding the nature of the endoscopic procedure provided to the patient, 91%; the sufficient time to ask questions about the nature of the procedure, 82%; alternative diagnostic tests or treatment explained to the patient, 73%; patient informed about the possible complications of the proposed procedure, 32%; the patient informed about the mortality rate of the proposed endoscopic procedure, 15%. Conclusion: Although information about the procedure is given to the patients in 91% of the procedure, endoscopic practice must respect the ethical aspects of medicine and more attention need to be paid to informed consent and patient's information, especially about potential procedure- related complication and mortality.