Informed consent entails more than signing a document. Ideally, it should involve a process in which individuals are given sufficient information to make a voluntary decision. Little is known about the process of informed consent for cadaver donation.
To assess existing consent procedures for cadaver donation in a sample of US medical schools.
Cross-sectional survey and content analysis of informational brochures and consent forms given to potential cadaver donors.
The 22 largest medical schools in the United States, as ranked by the number of medical students in the Association of American Medical Colleges Institutional Profile System Annual Report 1995-1996.
Description of dissection procedure, information provided about dissection, and the process for obtaining consent.
Of the 22 schools studied, 18 schools (82%) mentioned the altruistic nature of cadaver donation. Twenty-one schools (96%) specified that bodies would be used to teach students, and 16 schools (73%) specified that bodies would be used for research. One school (4%) noted that organs could be permanently preserved for teaching purposes. Only 2 schools (9%) provided any description of the dissection procedures to be performed on the cadavers. Seven schools (32%) used the term dissect at least once. None of the schools offered to provide a complete account of the dissection procedure.
The existing consent procedures for cadaver donations at US medical schools do not provide sufficient information to potential donors to constitute a fully informed consent.