With the cultural change after ObamaCare passage, and the call for more patient-centered and transparent healthcare, a number of outdated hospital processes are getting a facelift.

Informed consent, in particular, has come under scrutiny, as shared decision-making between provider and patient gains greater importance.

“It is time for a fundamental rethinking around informed consent, but there are few incentives to improve it,” contends Harlan Krumholz MD, professor of medicine, epidemiology and public health at Yale University and author of “Informed Consent to Promote Patient-Centered Care,” which appeared in the March 2010 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association [JAMA].

“Patients are signing documents on a gurney, or minutes away from sedation, and are hardly in the frame of mind to sign. Often, they’re choosing procedures they would not if they truly understood what they were getting into.”

http://www.hhnmag.com/hhnmag_app/jsp/articledisplay.jsp?dcrpath=HHNMAG/Article/data/07JUL2010/1007HHN_Inbox_patientcare&domain=HHNMAG

Source: Tracy Granzyk Wetzel

I could not agree more.

Hope Hetico RN, MHA
[Managing Editor]

When, not if, you get sued, a good plaintiff’s attorney will always review your charts, consent forms, and interview the patient on this contentious topic. Forewarned is Forearmed!

Risk Manager