Knowledge, Awareness, and Attitude of Doctors and Patients regarding Informed Consent to Medical Procedures in Papua New Guinea

This study explores how doctors and patients in Papua New Guinea (PNG) perceive informed consent in medical settings. Doctors and patients from National Capital District and Central Province who responded to the survey were the participants of the study. Researchers asked the participants to fill out questionnaires regarding their knowledge about informed consent for each group, namely, the doctors and participants. From those who responded, six randomly selected participants were chosen to join the focus group discussion which aimed to get experiences from the doctors and patients regarding medical procedures. Results show that both doctors and patients lack knowledge of the legalities of informed consent. Based on the experiences of doctors, they do not use consent forms when seeking permission from patients. Patients, on the other hand, do not see consent forms as important and only served as a formality. Customs, culture surrounding PNG were found to have an impact on how patients perceived informed consent.