Can a nurse or office assistant ask the patient to sign an informed consent before the physician discusses the treatment or procedure?
No, it is the physician’s responsibility to have a talk with the patient that includes a discussion of risks, benefits and alternatives of a proposed treatment or procedure. The informed consent is a process, not a signature on a document. Once this has been done, the task of actually obtaining a signature on a form can be delegated. The process of the discussion by and between the physician and the patient should also be documented in the medical record.
Related Questions
- Can a nurse practitioner or physician assistant do any part of a new patient office visit or consultation and still bill under the physicians billing number?
- Can a nurse or office assistant ask the patient to sign an informed consent before the physician discusses the treatment or procedure?
- What if the patients POLST Paradigm form does not have the signature of his/her doctor (nurse practitioner, or physician assistant)?
