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Do You Know the Key Elements of Informed Consent?

Dec 6, 2017 | Doctor Errors, Firm News

When you agree to undergo a medical procedure and end up with a poor outcome, you may find yourself thinking you would have never agreed to it had you know that your complications were a possible outcome. You may feel like your situation is an isolated one and struggling to deal with the aftermath. However, many people in the Indianapolis area find themselves facing similar circumstances. What originally seems like general consent for treatment often becomes evidence in medical malpractice claims. 

To protect yourself from informed consent malpractice issues, you should never agree to medical treatments and procedures without your medical team providing you with the following information. 

  •        Proper diagnosis
  •        Reason why treatment/procedure is necessary
  •        Treatment/procedure alternatives
  •        Risk and benefits of recommendation and alternatives
  •        Potential outcomes of not having treatment 

The next time you go in for a medical procedure or testing, make sure your doctor provides you with the information you need. Do not feel pressured to sign any forms. If you are not comfortable, feel free to get additional opinions and talk things over with your loved ones. 

Many physicians and nursing staff are so pressed for time that they neglect to “provide patients with all of the necessary information they need to make informed decisions about their care,” states FindLaw. Many individuals do not know when their doctors are not providing them with enough information until it is too late. 

It is a well-known fact that many doctors work more hours than they should. There are many reasons why they do not perform all of their job duties properly. Some of them make mistakes while they are performing their job duties. When they fail to properly inform their patients about the risks and dangers of the procedures they are recommending, the results are often life-changing and hard for many patients to live with.

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