Informed consent

Before you decide to have health tests or treatment, it's important you understand the meaning of informed consent in healthcare. I will explain what informed consent means for you, and what you need to know before making decisions about your health. What is informed consent in healthcare? When you visit a health service, your doctors, nurses and other health workers will tell People do their best to help you with your health problems.

Sometimes you'll need to have tests or treatment. If your health worker wants to test or treat you, they must ask you for your consent first. Informed consent is when you clearly understand your illness or health problem and agree to what your health worker is going to do. Remember, you have the choice to have treatment or not.

What information do I need? To help you make a decision about tests and treatments, about having, your health worker will give you some important information. You can also ask questions such as, what is my illness or health problem? What is the test or treatment? How will the test or treatment help me? Can the test or treatment cause any problems?

How serious can the problems be? Are there different tests or treatments? What happens after the test or treatment? Will I get better? How long will it be? What may happen if I don't get treatment? Please tell your health worker if you don't understand anything they've talked to you about. Why do I have to give consent?

It is the law in Australia that your health worker has your consent before giving you a health test or treating you. Why do I need to sign a consent form? You'll be asked to sign a written consent form for high risk treatments like surgery. Other times you might only need to tell your health worker that you agree to what they're going to do.

Your consent form is only going to be read by those involved in your health care and won't be shared with anyone else. Who can give consent? You'll need to give your own consent if you understand your treatment options and can tell your health worker what you want to do. You can bring your family, friends or community members for support.

And ask them for advice. When you are in an emergency, sometimes your health worker, a family member or friend, can make decisions for you. Who gives consent for a child? Usually a parent, guardian or carer gives consent for a child that is under 18 years of age. Only in cases when a child can fully understand their treatment and the effect it can have on their health can they give their own consent.

Your health worker will check if a child can give their consent. How much do I need to know? Health workers will give you as much information as you want and will try to answer all of your questions. You can tell your health worker if there's anything you don't want to know about your tests or treatment.

How much time do I have to decide? Decisions have to be made quickly in emergencies. If it's not an emergency, you can't decide. If you're still unsure, you can talk to another health worker to help you make your decision. Do I need an interpreter? Sometimes it can be hard understanding what you need to know about your test or treatment.

It's important that if you're going to make the best decision about your health, that you and your health worker understand each other. If English isn't your first language, a professional interpreter can attend your appointment. Both face to face interpreters and telephone interpreters are free. You or your health worker can ask to have an interpreter attend your appointments.

Remember that everything you tell your interpreter is private. What if I gave consent and then I changed my mind? You can always change your mind, even if you've signed a consent form or told your health worker that you agree to have tests or treatment. Remember, ask questions. It's important that you understand everything you say.

Everything your health worker has talked to you about. You can ask as many questions as you want, and you can bring someone with you for support. Ask for an interpreter. Professional interpreters are free, and they make it easier for you and your health worker to understand each other. It is your choice.

Even if you gave consent, you can change your mind at any time.