NFO Business of Medicine Web Series: Informed Consent for Medical/Surgical Procedures

The concept of informed consent is too often mistakenly viewed as a rote process by which practitioners obtain patient signatures on template forms or make notes in patient health records. This oversimplification mischaracterizes the spirit of informed consent. Further, it fails to acknowledge the benefits available to practitioners and their patients when true informed consent is obtained. This program explores the principles underlying the concept of informed consent and reviews how informed consent affects medical malpractice claims. The program also highlights practical risk management strategies regarding several informed consent issues, including special populations, informed refusal, and new technologies. At the conclusion of this program, participants should be able to: Describe the concept of informed consent and how it evolved into the practice we know today. Articulate how informed consent can affect medical malpractice claims. Understand the concepts of obtaining informed consent for special populations (e.g., minors, cognitively impaired individuals). Discuss how to manage an informed refusal. Explain the informed concept process for new technologies, such as telehealth, robotic surgery, and artificial intelligence.