CONSENSUS IN MEDICAL COMMUNICATION

This paper discusses a survey which was carried out to investigate the types of risks and inconveniences which are normally disclosed by sur geons before operations. By restricting the survey to a specific opera tion, the Charnley Hip Replacement procedure, greater precision in rep lies was obtained. The results, however, shed light on both the medica l and the legal aspects of informed decision in surgery generally. The survey data was analysed using the concept of neighbourhood consensus [1: Dodd F. J, and Donegan H. A. Proc. of ILIAM 6, pp. 17 -29. Univer sity of Ulster Press, Ulster, 1989].