Informed consent: an essential element of safe anesthesia practice

Generally, health care providers have viewed safety in terms of prevention of patient accidents. However, with the growth of patient consumerism and stress on quality improvement, the concept of "safety" has been expanded. This article examines the legal concept of informed consent and offers practical suggestions on increasing both patient and provider safety and improving quality of care. For reasons dictated by statute, case law, and professional ethics, informed consent should be part of the practice of every CRNA. With proper informed consent, misinformation, dissatisfaction, and subsequent legal action can be diminished. Information should be offered to the patient and family and reinforced with written educational materials and instructions. These procedures should be documented in the medical record to provide verification that the patient was informed of the risks and benefits and agreed to the procedure contemplated. Failure to do so could expose the CRNA to legal actions under legal theories that include not only negligence, but battery, and contract as well.