Patient Consent for Treatment

Definition/Etiology:

• Informed consent – “process in which a health care provider educates a patient about the risks, benefits, and alternatives of a procedure or intervention”
  • Examples: anesthesia, surgery, conscious sedations, blood transfusion
• Implied Consent – when medical staff assume that the patient would given verbal treatment. (Unconscious patients)
• Examples: stopping the bleed on an unconscious patient that had a bad MVA, CPR on an unconscious patient with no known advanced directives
• Parental Consent – given by parents for those patients that are considered to be underage

Clinical Presentation:

Informed consent should be discussed with the patient by a provider and should include:

• Diagnosis
• Purpose of the course of treatment
• Risk vs benefits of treatment 
• Expected outcome 
• Alternative options

Collaborative Management:

• Informed consent usually requires a witness
• Nurses may be asked to witness consent 
• Witness the conversation requiring consent
• Any questions the patient has should be answered by the performing provider

Evaluation | Patient Monitoring | Education:

• Evaluate the consent for completeness
• Know your hospital’s policy

Linchpins: (Key Points)

• Expressed consent is given on paper or verbally
• Implied consent is usually understood through actions
• Consent is legally binding
• Consent can be withdrawn