Introduction:

The way in which informed consent (IC) is applied in some healthcare institutions where bilateral tubal occlusion (OTB) procedures are performed in Cartagena could be influenced by sociodemographic and obstetric factors which ultimately determine the way at which informed consent is applied, being this more than a requirement for the professionals to be free of liability in their doctor-patient relationship.

Objective:

To determine the influence of sociodemographic and obstetric factors on the application of informed consent in OTB procedures in health centers in Cartagena.

Material and Methods:

A prospective cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out. Primary sources of information were consulted; a total of 196 patients who underwent cesarean section procedures for emergencies plus bilateral tubal occlusion were surveyed. Univariate and bivariate analyzes were performed to establish a tendency to association using the Chi-square test.

Results:

Some sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics statistically associated with knowledge about informed consent are to be over 24 years old (p=0.033); to be of urban origin (p=0.046); to live in stratum higher than stratum 1 and 2 (p=0.0001), to have higher education than primary (p=0.0001); not to have more than two pregnancies (p=0.029) and to attend prenatal care (p=0.0001), among others.

Conclusions:

Most patients are generally unaware of IC. The socioeconomic stratum, level of schooling, origin and some obstetric factors have an influence on their level of knowledge of IC.

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