Earlier in the year, a discussion of the concept of informed consent was published (see Optician 15.05.2020). This explained what is meant by the term ‘informed consent’, looked at why it is important, how it is obtained from patients of varying mental capacity, and the existing legislation which practitioners need to abide by. This was the source material for the first in a series of interactive exercises designed to generate discussion about how the concept of informed consent applies to everyday eye care practice. Most responses focused on the clinical aspects of the case, but most respondents offered very little regarding the legal ramifications of appropriate patient consent for the clinical intervention.
A link to the original article is available here (http://fplreflib.findlay.co.uk/images/optician/pdf/additional-resource.pdf) and, once familiar with it, you will be asked to complete six multiple choice questions. Having done so, you may then consider the following case scenario. The focus here is very much upon understanding where informed consent is essential to establish and from whom.
Dr Nizar Hirji is Optometrist Consultant, Hirji Associates, Birmingham.