The Importance of Informed Consent
Informed consent is a document and a process that clients/patients and their providers engage in prior to any form of treatment being provided. In many offices, informed consent is treated as a permission form that is handed out upon arrival with limited to no explanation. You are told to sign it if you want to see the provider. And then that’s it. But how exactly are you to make an informed decision if you don’t have all the information necessary to do so? Here are some tips to help you navigate this process.
When you meet with a new provider, ask as many questions as you need to in order to feel comfortable.
Sometimes people feel uncomfortable asking a medical provider or a helping professional questions. This discomfort may come from several different places including a belief that you shouldn’t question experts, shame or embarrassment, or not being sure if it’s okay to ask questions. The more questions you ask, the more information you are going to get. Asking questions also gives your providers information about what you are needing which leads to additional understanding of what you are experiencing. Questions are not attacks or an indication of mistrust. Questions are a way of sharing what we are feeling we need to know in order to understand something and in order to feel okay with something. If we choose not to ask questions, we run the risk of agreeing to something that we are not actually comfortable with. It is always okay to ask questions.
If your provider walks you through the informed consent paperwork, take the time to listen to what they are saying.
Some providers choose to go over the informed consent together with you. If they are choosing to do that, they may give you additional information verbally that will help you to better understand the information contained in the document. If your provider does this, take the time to listen so you are able to get all of the information. Rushing through signing the paperwork and ignoring what your provider is saying puts you at a disadvantage because it causes you to miss some potentially very important information.
Make sure you read everything before you sign anything. This is true even if a provider is verbally walking you through the paperwork.
When you sign your name to something, you are legally agreeing to whatever is contained within the document. Because of this, it is incredibly important that you actually agree to what you are signing your agreement to. While the print may not be as small as it is on some credit card applications or software agreements, it is still a good policy to follow to read everything thoroughly and in its entirety before signing your name to it.
Do not sign something that you do not understand or feel uncomfortable with.
If there is a part of an informed consent document that makes you feel uncomfortable, either because it doesn’t make sense or you just don’t agree with it, it’s important to have a conversation with your provider about what is making you feel uncomfortable. Ask any questions that you need to. If ultimately you do not feel comfortable signing the informed consent document, it may mean that you will need to find another provider who is a better fit for what you are looking for. Remember that the paperwork that is being completed in order to see a provider is a legal requirement and is part of the business side of the operation. There is some wiggle room on some parts of it, and no wiggle room on other parts of it. If you do not like the paperwork, it is possible that you will still like the provider. Refusing to sign informed consent paperwork is refusal to give permission to treat- which means that provider will not be able to work with you. Remember that you do have a choice.
Providing informed consent is a provider’s legal and ethical obligation. You do not need to feel guilty or bad about questioning anything.
It is your provider’s responsibility to provide you with an informed consent process that gives you an opportunity to ask questions to gain understanding of what you are agreeing to. It is okay to ask as many questions as you need to in order to feel comfortable with what you are agreeing to. Thinking about it another way: do you really want to work with a provider you are afraid to ask questions of or who is unwilling to answer your questions? It is your responsibility to adhere to what you agree with. Make sure you know and feel comfortable with what you are agreeing to.
The ideal combination is an opportunity to read through and be verbally walked through the informed consent paperwork.
This is ideal because it gives information in more than one way which from a learning standpoint means the information is more likely to stick. Having a conversation makes it easier to voice questions and discuss anything that you are unsure about. It’s harder to do this if you aren’t sitting with someone who is there to help you understand. Some providers will ask you to fill out the paperwork and then will go over some or all of it with you. If this is how your provider is providing their informed consent process, make sure you ask questions before signing if you are uncomfortable with any aspect of the paperwork. If you have questions but are not ones that make you feel uncomfortable, make sure you make a note of the questions to be able to ask your provider about them when you meet.
Each provider has their own process for providing informed consent.
Every provider has a different process because each provider is a unique individual. Over time in their chosen profession, they will have gained practice of what works best in providing an informed consent process to the clients and patients that they work with. While there are some core pieces that have to be contained in an informed consent document, each provider will also likely include elements that are unique to their practice. Even if you’ve filled out informed consent paperwork before, don’t assume that it’s all the same just because it’s called the same thing.