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Secrets to Speedier Room Turnover - November 2013 - Outpatient Surgery Magazine

Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.

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OSE_1311_part1_Layout 1 11/6/13 8:56 AM Page 26 MEDICAL MALPRACTICE John L.A. Lyddane, JD How Specific Is Your Informed Consent Form? It doesn't have to all-inclusive, but it should be somewhat specific. Y ou can't warn patients about every conceivable risk related to surgery, but the good news is no one expects you to. The SPECIFICITY IS A SAFEGUARD, NOT A TRAP A more-explicit general rule informed consent form can reduce your malpractice risk. when it comes to informed consent is that practitioners need to explain to their patients all reasonably foreseeable risks and benefits. That's an important distinction and one to consider if you're among the many who fear that a consent form that specifies any risks has to be all-inclusive — which is, of course, impossible. It's also unnecessary. The fact is, you don't have to fear specificity, and the trend toward more-explicit consent forms is reducing malpractice cases. In fact, surgeons who've had to defend informed consent cases usually learn an important lesson and respond by developing more explicit forms. Why wait for it to happen to you when you can learn from their experience? Memories fail Sure, it's easier to use single generic consent forms with blanks that 2 6 O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | N O V E M B E R 2013

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