tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7323692122514281455.post4742050261094400660..comments2024-03-22T17:05:55.267-04:00Comments on MD Whistleblower: Hospital Consent Forms and Other StoriesMichael Kirsch, M.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07555280388086931097noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7323692122514281455.post-10776710193659237802016-12-12T13:29:36.123-05:002016-12-12T13:29:36.123-05:00@MC, I completely agree with your comments. The s...@MC, I completely agree with your comments. The signing of consent documents has become falsely elevated to true informed consent - a spurious notion for sure. Conversely, as you point out, true consent can be obtained without any signatures. It's become a farce, in my view. Thanks for taking the time to offer your insights. Michael Kirsch, M.D.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07555280388086931097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7323692122514281455.post-24125920417104424872016-12-11T09:16:57.960-05:002016-12-11T09:16:57.960-05:00There is also confusion regarding what constitutes...There is also confusion regarding what constitutes actual consent. Specifically, we confound the signing of the informed consent document with the acts of informing and consenting. In my particular state which has very loose requirements for obtaining written consent, much of what we do can be done under verbal informed consent. However, there is a tendency to assume that if no written consent is required, no consent is required whatsoever. On the flip side, there is also a perception that if something is signed, then informed consent has been accomplished, even if no informing has been undertaken, whatsoever. <br /><br />The written documents often get in the way of any real informed consent because they are created by those who have no idea of what the actual risks and benefits are of any specific intervention. We are forced to get written informed consent for trivial interventions using boilerplate documents which include risks such as death or paralysis where the riskiest part of the intervention is getting patients on the exam table. The documents bear little or resemblance to actual informed consent tools and are in reality signed releases. The Medical Contrarianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09240492315542223258noreply@blogger.com