Since the FDA's public health announcement on transvaginal mesh in July, one of our highest priorities has been to develop educational materials to help clinicians perform informed consent for patients who are considering mesh use for prolapse or incontinence.

Today, I am pleased to announce that the AUGS Mesh Informed Consent Toolkit is now available (www.augs.org/informedconsent). This is an on-line resource available to the public that includes:

• important background information and patient handouts
• links to relevant documents from FDA, AUGS and other groups
• a guide to assist in answering the questions that the FDA suggests patients ask their providers
• an informed consent checklist. 

We also intend this site to be a "one-stop shop" for manufacturers brochures and educational materials for each specific product; we have reached out to each of the companies and expect this material to be added soon. I think you will find this a valuable resource that can be used every day in your practice. I have already bookmarked this link on the computers in each of our exam rooms.

I would like to personally thank Charley Rardin, Peter Rosenblatt, Jim Whiteside, Miles Murphy and Ed Varner for the outstanding job they have done on this project. Finally, I would like to emphasize that this is an effort in progress. Over time we plan to add additional educational materials including video of a well done informed consent and eventually some formal decision aids. As you use it, I encourage you to send any suggestions you may have to improve the site (please send to info@augs.org).

-Matt Barber