Informed Consent

Members:
Black, Dean Ezekiel C.
Hidalgo, Richard Demetri
Martin, Keyh-c
Napiza, Elaijha Margaret
Sumulong, Ashley Ann E.

Background
 A patient must have enough knowledge and comprehension before making decisions
about their medical care, according to the notion of informed consent, which is based on
medical ethics, medical legislation, and media studies.
 The main purpose of the informed consent process is to protect the patient. A consent
form is a legal document that ensures an ongoing communication process between you
and your health care provider.
Things that we should know in an informed consent:
 The diagnosis, if known
 The nature and purpose of a proposed treatment or procedure
 The risk and benefits of proposed treatment or procedures
 Alternatives (regardless of costs or extent covered by insurance)
 The risk and benefits of alternatives
 The risks and benefits of not receiving treatments or undergoing procedures

Who Can Consent?

Patient, if adult and competent:
 Impaired due to injury, ETOH or medications of drugs
 Healthcare Power of Attorney or legal guardian
 In the absence of a legally authorized representative, a "statutory surrogate" may give
consent.

Why Do We Need to Improve Informed Consents
 Even after signing a consent form, many patients still do not understand basic
information about the risks and benefits of their proposed treatment options.
What are the Potential Consequences of Lack of True Informed Consent?
 Increased chance of a patient safety incident or medical error
 Increased chance for malpractice cases
 Violation of professional and ethical obligations to clinicians to communicate clearly

What Can We Do to Improve Our Informed Consent

 Simplify our language
 Allow time for questions
 Make sure the patient understands
 Plan for language assistance in advance of appointment
 Train support staff

Definition of Terms:
Informed Consent
 A process of discussion between you and your healthcare professional called informed
consent frequently results in agreement or authorization for care, treatment, or services.
Before surgeries and treatments, the patient has the right to information and inquiries.
Adult patients who are mentally competent to consent to treatment must do so before
treatment can start.
 The informed consent procedure ensures that before you make a decision, your healthcare
professional has informed you about your illness, as well as testing and treatment
alternatives.
Surrogate
 A person chosen to speak on the patient's behalf if they are unable to make decisions for
themselves. This individual might be a spouse, parent, or close friend.

Purpose:
 The informed consent's primary goal is to help protect the patient.
 A consent form is a legal document that enables you and your health care provider
maintain an ongoing communication process.
 It suggests that your health care professional informed you about your disease and
treatment choices, and that you evaluated this knowledge to select the option that you
believe is best for you.
 Your state's regulations may specify how, for instance verbally or in writing, you must be
informed of your treatment options.
  Together, you and your healthcare professional will choose how to best provide you with
the information you require.
 To aid with your understanding of the content, the provider may opt to employ
techniques other than a verbal talk or a written document, such as movies, interactive
computer modules, audio files, or other techniques.
 Make sure you comprehend all the information provided, even if it requires reading it
several times or requesting your provider to do so.

Nursing Considerations:
(1) The nurse must choose what approach she would use between the three legal approaches
to adequate informed consent.
The criterion for what constitutes informed consent is set by the state. The following are the
three reputable legal methods for obtaining sufficient informed consent:
SUBJECTIVE STANDARD: This approach answers, What would this patient need to know
and understand to make an informed decision?
REASONABLE PATIENT STANDARD: This approach answers the following, What would
the average patient need to know to be an informed participant in the decision?
REASONABLE PATIENT STANDARD: This approach answers, What would a typical
physician say about this procedure?

(2) Consider consent as a process that ensures patient comprehension and approval rather
than merely a document that they sign.
(3) A coordinated effort between the doctor, nurse, and patient should go into obtaining
informed consent.

Nursing Contraindications:
Several exceptions can be made of the following:
(1) The patient is incapacitated
(2) Life-threatening emergencies with insufficient time to obtain consent
(3) Voluntary waived consent
 (4) If the patient's decision-making ability is questioned or unclear, a psychiatrist evaluation
to determine competency may be requested.
A situation may arise in which a patient is unable to make independent decisions but has not
designated a decision-maker. In this case, the next legal surrogate decision-maker must be
determined using the hierarchy of decision-makers established by each state's laws. If this is
unsuccessful, the court may have to appoint a legal guardian.

Children and Informed Consent:

Children (typically under the age of 17) are unable to provide informed consent. As a result,
parents must consent to treatments or interventions. In this case, it is "informed permission"
rather than "informed consent." A legally emancipated child may provide informed consent for
himself.

Minors who are:

 Under 18 and married;
 Serving in the military;
 Able to demonstrate financial independence;
 Mothers of children are some, but not all, examples of emancipated minors (married or
not). Minors and informed consent legislation is also state-based. It is critical to
understand state laws.

References:
Bonsall, L. (2015, May 8). Informed Consent: An ethical way of nursing.
https://www.nursingcenter.com/ncblog/may-2015-(1)/informed-consent-an-ethical-way-of-
nursing
Shah, P., Thornton, I., Turrin, D., & Hipskind, J. E. (2022, June 11). Informed Consent -
StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf. Informed Consent - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf. Retrieved
February 6, 2023, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK430827/
Why do I have to sign a consent form? https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-
effects/planning-managing/informed-consent/what-is-informed-consent.html#:~:text=The
%20main%20purpose%20of%20the,and%20your%20health%20care%20provider.
Strini, V., et al. (2021, July 29). The Role of the Nurse in Informed Consent to Treatments: An
Observational-Descriptive Study in the Padua Hospital.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8395484/#:~:text=Nurses%20may%20serve
%20to%20ensure,all%20healthcare%20professionals%20%5B11%5D.