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Informed Consent For Treatment: What Is It? Howdoidoit?

The document discusses informed consent for medical treatment. Informed consent is a process where a physician discusses the risks, benefits, and alternatives of a treatment with a patient so they can voluntarily agree to undergo the treatment. Key aspects of informed consent include having an open dialogue to ensure the patient understands the treatment, documenting the discussion, using simple language, and addressing any lingering concerns or questions from the patient. Physicians should communicate the diagnosis, treatment purpose and likelihood of success, risks and benefits, alternatives, and potential outcomes to obtain informed consent. Written consent is typically required for surgeries, advanced medical tests and procedures, radiation, chemotherapy, and some blood tests.

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37 views2 pages

Informed Consent For Treatment: What Is It? Howdoidoit?

The document discusses informed consent for medical treatment. Informed consent is a process where a physician discusses the risks, benefits, and alternatives of a treatment with a patient so they can voluntarily agree to undergo the treatment. Key aspects of informed consent include having an open dialogue to ensure the patient understands the treatment, documenting the discussion, using simple language, and addressing any lingering concerns or questions from the patient. Physicians should communicate the diagnosis, treatment purpose and likelihood of success, risks and benefits, alternatives, and potential outcomes to obtain informed consent. Written consent is typically required for surgeries, advanced medical tests and procedures, radiation, chemotherapy, and some blood tests.

Uploaded by

ISForever
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Informed Consent for Treatment

What is it? How do I do it?

-Informed consent is a process (not a form) by -Sit down during the discussion.
which a physician and patient discuss the likely -Show care & concern about patient’s fears.
risks, benefits, and alternatives to an -Take enough time to make sure that all patient’s
intervention and a patient voluntarily agrees to questions & concerns will be addressed.
undergo that intervention. -Find a quiet setting & minimize disruptions.
-Patient must have decisional capacity to give -Document the content & the outcome of the
consent informed consent conversation in the medical
-Patient must consent freely & voluntarily record.
-An open and respectful dialogue between - Use descriptive, simple language to ensure
physician and patient-not a one way transfer of patients understand complicated medical
information. procedures.
-Physicians elicit the patient’s consent, they do -Use key repetitive phrases and then ask patients to
not “consent patients.” repeat what you have said.
-It is part of the physician’s job to make sure, to -Draw diagrams if necessary.
the best of their ability, that the patient has -Avoid medical jargon.
understood the information that the physician - Respond to the patient’s level of medical literacy.
discloses. -Use a translator or a translator phone if necessary
!! - If a patient expresses lingering fear or doubts this
means that the consent process is not completed.

What should I communicate?


✓ Diagnosis and prognosis
✓ Purpose of the intervention (treatment or diagnostic test)
✓ Probability the intervention will be successful
✓ Benefits of the intervention
✓ Risks of the intervention and their likelihood
✓ What the intervention involves (including temporary or permanent pain, discomfort, scarring, etc.)
✓ Alternatives to the procedure, including the option of no intervention at all
✓ Potential outcomes of the intervention and the likelihood of those outcomes
✓ What is likely to occur if the intervention is refused
✓ How long the intervention will last & how long before the patient can return to normal activities.
✓ Whether their insurance will cover the intervention or how much they can expect to pay for it
✓ Patient must have the opportunity and time to ask questions and to discuss the intervention with
advisors.
✓ Physician must answer patient’s questions in a simple and straightforward way.
!!
!
How much information? When do I need to elicit written
consent?
!
-It is very hard for the physician to communicate
!
-Varies by state & institution
all of the risks of an intervention & their -Most surgeries
likelihoods. The physician must make an effort to -Advanced or complex medical tests and procedures
communicate: (e.g. endoscopy, or a needle biopsy of the liver)
-Most common/likely risks -Radiation or chemotherapy
-Rare but very serious risks. -Vaccines
-Risks most reasonable people likely care about -Some blood tests, such as HIV testing
-additional risks this patient is especially likely to
care about
-Make it clear that there are other things that
could go wrong as well, that you are not giving
them a complete list

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