lori.morrisBy Lori Morris, CNM, MSN (Published at housemidwife.com)
Have you ever been sitting in your provider’s office and had someone briefly recommend a procedure and then shove a piece of paper in your face to sign? What about laying in a hospital bed? The doctor comes in and quickly tells you what he or she thinks needs to be done to make you all better in language you don’t understand. The nurse brings in the paperwork and asks you to sign it, likely without really going over it. They might tell you that it’s a consent form or they may not.
Have you ever signed that paper without reading it? Did you feel like you were bothering them if you took the time to read it? They’re busy, after all. They are here to do what’s best for you, right? You should probably just trust that everything on there is good and sign it.
Or should you?
I’ve been there with you. I always end up signing, feeling pressured and feeling like it doesn’t really matter what it says, I’m going to have to sign it anyway, so why bother reading it and wasting their time and mine.
As you probably suspect, those forms are designed to protect the provider and the facility. You can’t blame them for that. It’s a litigious world. Everybody seems to want to blame somebody else for anything that doesn’t go according to plan. Does anybody really take responsibility for their own actions and decisions anymore?
Well, I do now, and I want you to as well. Let’s talk about TRUE INFORMED CONSENT as it should be, not as it has come to be.
What Informed Consent IS NOT
– True informed consent is not medical jargon thrown at you in a way you do not understand
– It is not just signing a form, even if that form is entitled “Informed Consent”
– It is not agreeing because you feel like you have to.
– It is not just about the provider and the facility
– It is not a glazed over version of what could happen
– It is not your provider just telling you he or she thinks you should do this because it’s the best way
What TRUE Informed Consent IS
– Informed consent is thorough
– It is not just a piece of paper to sign
– It provides all known pros and cons to a recommended procedure or treatment
– It is UNBIASED
– It allows you to decide what is best for you based on the pros and cons of possible outcomes
– It gives you time to read the forms and think them through
– It answers all your questions in a way that you understand
– It offers alternatives
– It is a discussion, not a monologue
– It gives you the information you need to make the best decision for you
I know this may seem overwhelming if you do not have medical training, but that really demonstrates the problem. You should not feel pressured and overwhelmed when making a decision. Unless there is a true emergency taking place — a threat to life or limb — there is almost always time for you to think things over and talk to your family before making a decision.
TAKE YOUR TIME.
Yes, providers are on tight schedules, but their time constraints should not force you into doing something you are not ready to do because YOU are the one who will have to live with the outcome, whether it be positive or negative. You need to be able to own your decision. Until you have enough information for you to feel like your decision is your own, you do not have TRUE informed consent.
“That’s all fine and good,” you say, “but when I’m sitting there with my provider, everything in my head gets jumbled and I can never remember what I need to ask. How in the world am I supposed to actually DO this?”
I’m glad you asked! It can be intimidating, but it really shouldn’t be.
Now for the hard part – TRUST YOURSELF! You know what’s best for you. Once you have the information you need to make a good choice, just do it and be OK with it. Don’t be afraid to decide against a recommended treatment or procedure if you decide it is not the right thing for you in your situation. Your provider won’t hate you. They will move on to the next client. But you won’t get to move on without the consequences of your decision, whether they be positive or negative, so you MUST be OK with whatever you decide.
If you do feel negativity from your provider if you go against their recommendations, you might want to evaluate if you want them as a provider anyway. There are many providers who empower their clients to make their own decisions. Find one of them you can trust.