Documenting informed consent for treatment with neuroleptics: an alternative to the consent form

Clinicians can comply with Ohio state regulations for documenting patients' informed consent for treatment with neuroleptic medication by checking a box in the medical record stating that a periodic discussion of informed consent has occurred and writing a note about the discussion in the narrative record. The authors discuss clinicians' experience with this alternative to the conventional consent form in a large community support agency. Although the approach has been largely successful, implementation has been hindered by some clinicians' incomplete understanding of the informed consent process. Continued training is needed to bring the ideal of informed consent into clinical practice.