Informed Consent

When a doctor hands you a piece of paper telling you to sign it, do you? Why? What are you signing? If you are sick or hurt and the doctor has to do some kind of surgery or procedure that is not a part of regular care, he/she must get your consent. Any procedure that is not a part of regular care (non-routine) that means the doctor has to go inside your body (invasive, cutting, inserting a tool, etc.) needs your consent. Informed consent means that your doctor has explained what is wrong with you (diagnosis). The doctor then explains what can be done to fix the problem (your options). The doctor will also tell you what would happen if you decided not to do anything to fix the problem (no treatment). During this talk and after, you can ask questions about what the doctor has said to be sure that you understand. Once the doctor has explained everything and you are sure that you know what he/she has said, then and only then should you sign the form that says you understand what the doctor has told you and you agree with what needs to be done. Signing the piece of paper is not the "informed consent". The informed consent is being told what is wrong, what can be done or not done, and having time to ask questions.

If your doctor asks you to sign forms and you are not sure what they are for or you can't understand what the doctor says, you can ask for help. Unless you are in an emergency, you need to always take time to know what you are signing. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Don't be afraid to go to another doctor. It's your body. It's your choice.