Informed consent is an important part of most medical procedures. But people get confused about what it is, what it means, and why it’s important.
Informed consent allows patients in a healthcare setting to participate in their own medical care. It provides the patients with the choice to decide which treatments they want or which they don’t want to receive. It allows patients to make collaborative decisions with the healthcare provider. This decision-making process is a legal and ethical obligation of healthcare providers.
WHAT IS INFORMED CONSENT?
Informed consent can be regarded as the medical treatment explained to a patient by a physician, nurse or healthcare professional before the patient provides his approval to it. It allows the patient to ask questions related to the treatment and accept or deny it.
Usually, in a healthcare or hospital setting, informed consent includes:
• The ability to make a decision
• Proper explanation of the information required to make a decision
• Patient’s understanding of the medical information
• Patient’s voluntary decision to receive the treatment
These are the critical components of the collaborative decision-making process between the patient and the healthcare provider.
WHY PATIENTS NEED TO SIGN A CONSENT FORM
The primary idea behind making a patient sign an informed consent is to protect him/her. This legal document makes sure that there is ongoing communication taking place between a healthcare provider and a patient. It signifies that the information regarding the condition and treatment has been provided to the patient and the patient can use the information to select the desired option.
The information that is provided to the patient is usually based on the doctor’s assessment of what may impact diagnosis and treatment procedures. The patient gets the opportunity to ask questions and understand more about the options available. Patients can also tell their healthcare providers about their preferences, personal values and opinions. This type of shared-decision making is especially helpful when there is no single “best” option of the treatment available.
Informed consent is also required for clinical trials or research. It informs the participants about the research or trial and lets them make informed decisions regarding taking part in the study.
SCENARIOS THAT REQUIRE INFORMED CONSENT
The following scenarios need informed consent:
• Blood transfusions
• Most surgeries
• Radiation
• Anaesthesia
• Most vaccinations
• Chemotherapy
• Blood tests such as HIV testing
• Advanced medical tests such as biopsy
ITS IMPORTANCE FOR DOCTORS AND HEALTHCARE FACILITIES
It is nearly impossible to guarantee positive outcomes within a hospital or healthcare setting. However, with informed consent, patients have a clear understanding of the risks they are taking with the treatment being offered. When patients do agree to a specific treatment procedure, they must sign the informed consent form while understanding all the risks and agreeing to the fact that physicians take life-saving measures as and when required.
The shared-decision making process allows trust to be built between a doctor and a patient. This, in turn, also reduces the risk for the patient as well as the doctor. Patients have the ability to make their own choices and doctors, as well as healthcare institutions, face less risk of legal actions.
At times, while obtaining informed consent, adequate information is not provided to patients. Therefore, healthcare providers must be educated about common interventions and procedures by experts and they need to be able to relay this information to patients as well as other members of their healthcare team. This would foster better transparency between patients and healthcare providers.
The writer is Senior Director, Medical Communication & Corporate Sales, Thieme.