A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Video Decision Making Aid to Obtain Informed Consent in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit

Specific Aim 1: To demonstrate that clinical surrogates of SICU patients who view a video
decision aid in addition to receiving written and verbal information about procedures and
life sustaining therapy in the SICU make more informed decisions than patients and clinical
surrogates who receive written and verbal information alone.

Hypothesis 1: Adding a video decision aid to the current informed consent process, for
procedures and life sustaining treatments in the SICU, will better inform clinical
surrogates of incapacitated patients admitted to the SICU regarding decision making when
providing consent for medical treatment.

Inclusion Criteria:

- Clinical surrogates of the following patients will be eligible to participate in this
opinion survey:

1. All patients admitted to the SICU and not expected to die within 48 hours.

2. Patient has been admitted to the acute care surgical service,

3. The patient is over the age of 50 and does not have decision making capacity.

- Subjects must be over the age of 21 and English speaking to participate in the
opinion survey.

Exclusion Criteria: