Consent - do you understand what you are reading?

Consent: Do You Understand What You Are Reading?

Before an appointment at our clinic, we send you a consent form to read.

We do this before you arrive for a reason. Consent should never be a rushed form placed in front of you moments before a procedure, and it should never be treated as a list of boxes to tick without understanding what they mean.

True informed consent means making a voluntary decision with a genuine understanding of the proposed procedure, its expected benefits, its limitations and its risks.

Why we send consent information in advance

Receiving the consent before your appointment gives you time to:

● Read about the proposed procedure

● Understand what product or substance may be used

● Review the recognised risks and possible complications

● Consider the expected recovery and aftercare

● Research information from reliable sources

● Write down questions you would like answered

● Decide whether you feel comfortable proceeding

● Decide that you would prefer more time to think

There is no benefit in signing a consent form that you have not read or do not understand.

Consent is more than a signature

A signed form is only one part of informed consent. The consent process also includes a clinical discussion where you can ask questions, explain your goals and talk through the information that matters to you.

You should understand:

● What is being proposed

● Why it is being considered

● What the procedure can reasonably achieve

● The common risks and the serious risks, even when they are uncommon

● The likely recovery

● Other reasonable options, including choosing no treatment

● What may happen if a complication occurs

Signing a form does not guarantee a particular result. It also does not remove your right to ask questions, change your mind or decline the procedure.

Do not just tick the boxes

Consent forms can contain unfamiliar medical language. If a word, risk or instruction is unclear, pause and ask us to explain it in plain language.

Useful questions may include:

● What does this risk actually mean?

● How commonly do you see it?

● What would it look or feel like?

● What should I expect during recovery?

● What would require urgent attention?

● What are my other options?

● What happens if I choose to do nothing?

These are not inconvenient questions. They are exactly what informed consent is designed to encourage.

It is acceptable to need more time

Arriving for an appointment does not obligate you to proceed.

You may decide that you are comfortable going ahead. You may decide that the procedure is not right for you. You may also decide that you would like more time to read, research or think.

All three are valid decisions.

Consent must be voluntary, informed and specific to the procedure being considered. It can also be withdrawn before the procedure begins.

The purpose of sending consent information early is not simply to obtain a signature. It is to give you the opportunity to understand the decision you are making.

Please read it carefully. Bring your questions. Make sure the decision feels informed, considered and right for you.

Clinical guidance

The principles in this article are consistent with Australian guidance describing informed consent as a voluntary decision made with knowledge and understanding of the benefits and risks involved.

1. Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. Shared Code of Conduct: Informed consent. Ahpra guidance

2. NSW Health. Consent to Medical and Healthcare Treatment Manual. NSW Health Consent Manual

3. NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation. Shared decision making. ACI guidance