Video or verbal? A randomised trial of the informed consent process prior to endoscopy.

Aim: Informed consent (IC) prior to endoscopy is often inconsistently and poorly performed. We compared use of video-assisted consent to standard verbal consent for enhancing patients' recollection of procedural risks, understanding and fulfilment of expectation.

Method: Two hundred patients attending for gastroscopy or colonoscopy were randomised to either video-assisted consent (n=100) or verbal consent (n=100).

Blinded randomised controlled study of the effect of a discharge communication template on proton pump inhibitor prescribing.

Aim: To evaluate whether the inclusion of advice in the hospital discharge letter regarding published guidelines for the review of PPI therapy can increase the number of patients that have documented PPI therapy review, consistent with the published guidelines, following hospital discharge.

Method: Patients on PPIs at discharge from hospital were randomised to either have their hospital discharge letter completed as per usual practice or to have additional information on PPI review included that was aligned to published local guidelines. Patients' GP records were reviewed at 3 to 6 months post discharge to determine if a PPI review had occurred and if that review adhered to the guidelines.