A revised checklist to obtain consent to treatment with medication

A checklist to obtain patient consent for treatment with medication was developed by the author in 1976. The one-page form documents the process of obtaining consent from patients and certifies that the physician has discussed the benefits, side-effects, and risks of medication. A revised checklist now in use better equips the physician to deal with cases in which the patient's condition reduces his capacity to give fully informed, valid, and voluntary consent. On the checklist the physician assesses the patient's clinical condition as shock, denial, distress, dependency, or recovery and accordingly indicates the patient's capacity to give fully valid consent. The checklist procedure allows the physician to withhold certain information for good medical reasons. Like its predecessor, the revised checklist is thought to provide the physician with reasonable protection from prosecution and has been shown to enhance the therapeutic relationship when used properly.