Table 3 Responses to: “This section asks how you would like to give your permission. Please mark X in one of the four boxes to describe how you would like to give permission for each of the pieces of information. Only do this for information where you marked column A or B above (in other words, only for those items for which you would prefer to be asked for your permission).”

	No response Not applicable	(A) Signing a form when you are in hospital giving permission for material from your notes to be used in the future	(B) Being sent a form to sign each time doctors want to use material from your hospital notes	(C) Being telephoned to ask for permission each time doctors want to use material from your hospital notes	(D) Being informed each time material is being used (but not being asked for your permission)
Age	89	48 (66)	1 (1)	3 (4)	21 (29)
Age	2	48 (66)	1 (1)	3 (4)	21 (29)
Gender	89	48 (67)	1 (1)	1 (1)	22 (30)
Gender	2	48 (67)	1 (1)	1 (1)	22 (30)
Social class	82	48 (61)	9 (11)	3 (4)	19 (24)
Social class	2	48 (61)	9 (11)	3 (4)	19 (24)
Ethnicity	85	49 (64)	3 (4)	3 (4)	22 (29)
Ethnicity	2	49 (64)	3 (4)	3 (4)	22 (29)
Sexual orientation	81	49 (61)	6 (8)	5 (6)	20 (25)
Sexual orientation	2	49 (61)	6 (8)	5 (6)	20 (25)
Reason for treatment	80	49 (60)	10 (4)	3 (12)	20 (24)
Reason for treatment	2	49 (60)	10 (4)	3 (12)	20 (24)
Medical history	79	47 (57)	14 (17)	3 (4)	19 (23)
Medical history	2	47 (57)	14 (17)	3 (4)	19 (23)
Alcohol/smoking	86	45 (60)	9 (12)	1 (1)	20 (27)
Alcohol/smoking	3	45 (60)	9 (12)	1 (1)	20 (27)
Type of treatment	85	45 (58)	8 (10)	3 (4)	21 (27)
Type of treatment	2	45 (58)	8 (10)	3 (4)	21 (27)
Side effects	83	44 (56)	10 (13)	3 (4)	22 (28)
Side effects	2	44 (56)	10 (13)	3 (4)	22 (28)
Whether successful	83	45 (57)	10 (13)	2 (3)	22 (28)
Whether successful	2	45 (57)	10 (13)	2 (3)	22 (28)

Seventy-one patients should have answered these questions based on their previous responses.
Percentages are shown in parentheses, to the nearest integer: the denominator was the total number of responses.