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Self-Assessment: Informed Consent
Welcome to the Informed Consent Self-Assessment
A patient reserves the absolute right to make decisions regarding their own health care needs and treatment as this is vital to the patient’s personal dignity and autonomy. The decision making power must always rest with the patient or the Substitute Decision Maker (SDM) in the case of incapacity.
It is the right of every patient or their SDM to receive full and frank information on their condition, the options available and to provide free (from undue influence) an informed consent to any matters relating to their health.
The Health Care Consent Act, 1996 (HCCA) as well as the College’s Standard of Practice: Consent, highlight the legal framework on establishing, maintaining and recording valid consent that is consistent in all settings.
This self-assessment tool has been developed to help Registrants stay abreast of the policies governing Informed Consent. It uses questions to help you assess your knowledge of the HCCA and College standard on Consent and should be read in conjunction with the resources listed below.
Three Step Process – Read, Identify, Review and Modify
1. Read our resources All informed consent resources are published on the College of Naturopaths of Ontario’s website. These resources have been developed to help naturopaths ensure that they are meeting their responsibility with regards to Informed Consent.
2. Identify Identify your processes and practices for obtaining Informed Consent with your patients. Is it the signing of a consent form, providing a pamphlet or a fulsome discussion with opportunity for questions? Are the details of your consent practices documented in the patient chart?
3. Review and Modify Review your consent practices and documentation and where they may not be fully in compliance with the regulations or standards of practice identify ways in which you will change and improve your informed consent processes.
Remember…Even though NDs hold a position of trust and power with respect to their patients, the decision making power always rests with the patient or in the case of incapacity, the patient’s substitute decision-maker (SDM) and NDs must follow the guidelines in obtaining informed consent.
