AORN journal
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WHEN A PATIENT IS OBESE, simple dieting and exercise are rarely able to reverse significant comorbidities. Currently, surgery is the most effective treatment for obesity with respect to the amount and duration of weight loss. ⋯ THE PATIENT IS THE CENTER of the team's focus, and all facets of the perioperative process are interconnected. The words coordinate, educate, accommodate, facilitate, and communicate describe the multidisciplinary process that is necessary to provide quality, safe patient care with positive outcomes.
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THE LANGUAGE COMMONLY used in procedural/surgical consent forms often exceeds the average reading level of US patients, and many do not read the document before signing it. INCORPORATING READER-FRIENDLY language and formatting makes it more likely that patients will read the document, understand it, and therefore give informed consent. Adding "teach back" into the document provides a means of evaluating patient understanding. USING READER-FRIENDLY procedural/surgical consent documents merges the objectives of both health literacy and informed consent.