International journal of clinical practice
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An anonymous questionnaire-based study was devised to examine the role of preoperative assessment of patients by pre-registration surgical house officers. One hundred and eight patients awaiting elective surgery were entered into the study. ⋯ More than 25% of patients who stated that the benefits of their operation had been explained cited the PAC as the source; 45% of patients who believed the risks of their surgery had been provided felt the PAC had been the only source of this explanation. It was concluded that preoperative assessment clinics are an efficient and effective means of providing patients with valuable information about their operation.