6 Ways to Seek Informed Consent in Your Next Appointment
Take this mantra with you….
It’s not a confrontation, it’s a conversation.
We should never have to feel like we’re going to battle with the person who is there to care for us. White coat syndrom is legit though, and we need to acknowledge that it takes a lot of energy and effort to go to the doctor in the first place, not to mention how fortunate we are to even have a family doctor or get a spot in an after hours clinic.
The truth is, Canadians are afraid of questioning their health care providers and it’s causing some serious health problems.
So how do we navigate what feels like walking on egg shells? Start by opening up a conversation by trying out these 6 steps.
6 Ways to Seek Informed Consent in Your Next Appointment
Ask your health care provider for their definition of informed consent - with examples of language, paperwork, and practices they may use in an appointment with you.
When exploring treatment, ask what the risks and benefits are for each protocol prescribed as well as what the outcomes (risks and benefits) would be if you did not follow said protocol
Request access to information related to your practioner’s protocol suggestion. This can be evidence based scholarly articles, referrals to specialists or other practioners, referral for a second opinion, or testimonials and personal stories from real people who’ve received treatment
Take your time. Leave the appointment with the information and book back another time to follow up so you can receive answers to your questions or further material.
Seek privacy. It can feel incredibly intimidating to discuss your options in front of your care provider, especially if you feel they may be offened, or disagree. Ask for them to leave the room and come back in ___ mins. Whatever feels appropriate for your situation.
Ask for clarification. If the decision making is required sooner than later, ask for clarification. Reframe the information into a question. Examples include, “So, why are you recommending _____ for ______ again?”, “Can you remind what you said about the side effects for ___________?” “What happens if we don’t do xyz?”.
Please know this, there’s no such thing as a stupid question. You are literally paying your health care practioner to help you, so put them to work. A good health care practioner won’t mind and will be excited to share what’s going on in their decision making process with you.
Let me know how it went in the comments section.
