{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,28]],"date-time":"2026-02-28T14:07:18Z","timestamp":1772287638051,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":16,"publisher":"IMR Press","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,12]],"date-time":"2026-02-12T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1770854400000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Br. J. Hosp. Med. (Lond)"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The integration of electronic consent (e-consent) into anaesthetic practice has accelerated since the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, offering new opportunities to enhance patient autonomy, documentation fidelity, and clinical efficiency. This review examines the clinical, legal, and ethical dimensions of e-consent, situating it within the statutory and common law frameworks, such as the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the principles established in Montgomery v Lanarkshire Health Board. It further interrogates the challenges posed by digital exclusion, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and the environmental implications of transitioning to digital platforms. The emerging role of artificial intelligence in tailoring and strengthening consent processes is explored, while highlighting the imperative to preserve ethical integrity and legal validity.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.31083\/bjhm50953","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,28]],"date-time":"2026-02-28T13:29:12Z","timestamp":1772285352000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Understanding E-Consent in Anaesthesia: A Review of Clinical, Legal, and Ethical Dimensions"],"prefix":"10.31083","volume":"87","author":[{"given":"Mettha Oshadi","family":"Wimalasundera","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Anaesthetics Department, The Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust, WV10 0QP Wolverhampton, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Zoaheb Mudassar Wahab","family":"Mohammad","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Diabetic Medicine, Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, HP21 8AL Aylesbury, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Sadia","family":"Choudhury","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Anaesthetics Department, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, NW1 2BU London, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yasser","family":"Mandour","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Anaesthetics Department, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, NW1 2BU London, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"16242","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,12]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"Mitchell EJ, Appelbe D, Bravery A, Culliford L, Evans H, Farrin AJ, et al. e-Consent in UK academic-led clinical trials: current practice, challenges and the need for more evidence. Trials. 2023; 24: 657.","DOI":"10.1186\/s13063-023-07656-8"},{"key":"ref2","unstructured":"NHS. Consent to treatment - NHS. 2022. Available at: https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/conditions\/consent-to-treatment\/ (Accessed: 28 January 2025)."},{"key":"ref3","unstructured":"Supreme Court T. Montgomery (Appellant) v Lanarkshire Health Board (Respondent). 2015. Available at: https:\/\/www.supremecourt.uk\/cases\/uksc-2013-0136 (Accessed: 28 January 2025)."},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"Yentis SM, Hartle AJ, Barker IR, Barker P, Bogod DG, Clutton-Brock TH, et al. AAGBI: Consent for anaesthesia 2017: Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland. Anaesthesia. 2017; 72: 93\u2013105.","DOI":"10.1111\/anae.13762"},{"key":"ref5","unstructured":"NHS England. Section 2: The common law of confidentiality and consent - NHS England Digital. 2022. Available at: https:\/\/digital.nhs.uk\/data-and-information\/looking-after-information\/data-security-and-information-governance\/codes-of-practice-for-handling-information-in-health-and-care\/a-guide-to-confidentiality-in-health-and-social-care\/hscic-guide-to-confidentiality-references\/section-2 (Accessed: 28 January 2025)."},{"key":"ref6","unstructured":"Department of Health. Reference guide to consent for examination or treatment Second edition. 2009. Available at: https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/publications\/reference-guide-to-consent-for-examination-or-treatment-second-edition (Accessed: 28 January 2025)."},{"key":"ref7","unstructured":"Supreme Court T. \u2018McCulloch and others (Appellants) v Forth Valley Health Board (Respondent) (Scotland)\u2019 - UK Supreme Court. 2012. Available at: https:\/\/www.supremecourt.uk\/cases\/uksc-2021-0149 (Accessed: 5 December 2025)."},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"Reeves JJ, Mekeel KL, Waterman RS, Rhodes LR, Clay BJ, Clary BM, et al. Association of Electronic Surgical Consent Forms With Entry Error Rates. JAMA Surgery. 2020; 155: 777\u2013778.","DOI":"10.1001\/jamasurg.2020.1014"},{"key":"ref9","unstructured":"NHS England. Update on cyber incident: clinical impact in South East London \u2013 Thursday 11 July. 2024. Available at: https:\/\/www.england.nhs.uk\/2024\/07\/update-on-cyber-incident-clinical-impact-in-south-east-london-thursday-11-july\/ (Accessed: 29 January 2025)"},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"Houten R, Hussain MI, Martin AP, Ainsworth N, Lameirinhas C, Coombs AW, et al. Digital Versus Paper-Based Consent from the UK NHS Perspective: A Micro-costing Analysis. PharmacoEconomics - Open. 2025; 9: 27\u201339.","DOI":"10.1007\/s41669-024-00536-0"},{"key":"ref11","unstructured":"NHS England. What Good Looks Like Framework. 2021. Available at: https:\/\/transform.england.nhs.uk\/digitise-connect-transform\/what-good-looks-like\/what-good-looks-like-publication\/ (Accessed: 29 January 2025)."},{"key":"ref12","unstructured":"Department of Health and Social Care. Mental Capacity Act Code of Practice. 2020. Available at: https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/publications\/mental-capacity-act-code-of-practice (Accessed: 28 January 2025)."},{"key":"ref13","unstructured":"Royal College of Anaesthetists, Pierce T. Sustainability Strategy 2019\u20132022. n.d. Available at: https:\/\/www.rcoa.ac.uk\/about-us\/strategy-vision\/environment-sustainability\/sustainability-strategy-2019-2022 (Accessed: 28 January 2025)."},{"key":"ref14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"Kwon C, Essayei L, Spencer M, Etheridge T, Venkatesh R, Vengadesan N, et al. The Environmental Impacts of Electronic Medical Records Versus Paper Records at a Large Eye Hospital in India: Life Cycle Assessment Study. Journal of Medical Internet Research. 2024; 26: e42140.","DOI":"10.2196\/42140"},{"key":"ref15","unstructured":"Sollof J. Guy\u2019s and St Thomas\u2019 delays \u00a3450m EPR go live to ensure safety. 2023. Available at: https:\/\/www.digitalhealth.net\/2023\/03\/guys-and-st-thomas-delays-450m-epr-go-live-to-ensure-safety\/ (Accessed: 28 January 2025)."},{"key":"ref16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"Fraser-Govil S, Elmowafy A, Pardoe H. Greater Patient Than Staff Satisfaction Scores for Electronic Consent. Cureus. 2023; 15: e41810.","DOI":"10.7759\/cureus.41810"}],"container-title":["British Journal of Hospital Medicine"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.imrpress.com\/journal\/BJHM\/87\/2\/10.31083\/BJHM50953","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,28]],"date-time":"2026-02-28T13:29:16Z","timestamp":1772285356000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.imrpress.com\/journal\/BJHM\/87\/2\/10.31083\/BJHM50953"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,12]]},"references-count":16,"journal-issue":{"issue":"2","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026]]}},"alternative-id":["S1750-8460(26)02123-0"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.31083\/bjhm50953","relation":{},"ISSN":["1750-8460","1759-7390"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1750-8460","type":"print"},{"value":"1759-7390","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,12]]},"article-number":"50953"}}