The laws regulating professional practice in Virginia provide the necessary guidelines to guide practitioners to make informed clinical decisions. According to the law, informed consent is a voluntary agreement a client provides without any undue inducement by force or any form of coercion. Obtaining informed consent involves providing in-depth information to the client regarding their diagnosis and the proposed interventions. The patients' education should include the risks and benefits of the treatment options. Practitioners are also mandated to include information regarding alternative treatments that will benefit the client. It is also essential to educate the patient on any expected adverse consequences or risks, including that he or she can withdraw the consent anytime without prejudice.
The informed consent should also include information on the availability of third-party reimbursement and the medical care available when an injury occurs. The practitioner is expected to allow clients to ask questions or seek clarifications regarding their treatment. According to the law, if a client can provide informed consent, written consent should be provided by the person and witnessed. Their legally authorized representatives will provide the consent and witness for those incapables of consent. Consent may take the form of a written or oral presentation. In either form, they must be signed and witnessed, and a copy must be released to the client or their delegated representative.
References
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Kress, V. E., Hoffman, R. M., Adamson, N., & Eriksen, K. (2013). Informed Consent, Confidentiality, and Diagnosing: Ethical Guidelines for Counselor Practice.Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 35(1), 15-28. https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/informed-consent-confidentiality-diagnosing/docview/1269701497/se-2Links to an external site.https://www.proquest.com/docview/1269701497/fulltextPDF/9393502685B49E2PQ/1?accountid=14872Links to an external site.
Plaiasu, M. C., Dragos, O. A., & Codrut, A. N. (2022). Physicians’ legal knowledge of informed consent and confidentiality. A cross-sectional study. BMC Medical Ethics, 23, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12910-022-00835-3https://www.proquest.com/docview/2715486976/fulltextPDF/89270B242F634D64PQ/3?accountid=14872Links to an external site.
Remien K, & Kanchan T. (2022) Parental Consent. StatPearls Publishing Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK555889/Links to an external site.
Virginia law (n.d.) Administrative code : informed consent. Retrieved from. https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title12/agency5/chapter20/section100/#Links to an external site.
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