Page 42 - APP Collaboration - Assessing the Risk (Part One)

SVMIC Advanced Practice Provider Collaboration: Assessing the Risk

document all details which took

place during the informed consent
discussion instead of relying on
hospital consent forms. Hospital

consent forms may be generic in
nature and often do not provide
the opportunity to elaborate in

detail about the discussion that
took place.

In the majority of cases we reviewed, the only documentation
associated with the consent process was a boilerplate hospital

consent form. These forms are generic and do not include
any patient-specific content. For example, a diabetic patient’s

increased risk for infection or wound healing, a patient with
compromised lung function may require being placed on a

ventilator, or restrictions/loss of mobility for a patient whose
occupation depends on travel. Not taking the time to tailor the

risks, benefits, and alternatives to the patient’s condition could
present difficulty if informed consent is later challenged.

Anytime the consent form (or documentation of a
verbal consent in the record) fails to reflect the

details of the discussion between the practitioner
and patient, it can be very difficult to prove that a

complication was adequately explained and
understood by the patient prior to the procedure.

Without an adequate explanation and demonstration of the
patient’s understanding, the defense may be crippled, and

indeed, fatally impacted. Remember, it is the discussion that

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