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Criterion 1.2.2 Informed patient decisions

Our practice gives patients sufficient information about the purpose, importance, benefits and risks associated with proposed investigations, referrals or treatments to enable patients to make informed decisions about their health.

Explanation

It is important that patients have sufficient information to make appropriate decisions about their own health care. Information about the purpose, importance, benefits and risks of proposed investigations, referrals or treatments need to be tailored to the individual patient's needs. This information needs to be delivered in appropriate language - avoid jargon or complicated terms - and where necessary include clear diagrams and written information. Consideration also needs to be given to the patient's physical, visual and/or cognitive capacities, which may impact on their ability to understand the information, make decisions or provide consent. Consideration needs to be given to the way information is communicated in relation to potentially sensitive investigations or tests (eg. sexually transmitted infections, blood borne viruses, fetal abnormality screening, pregnancy tests). If working cross-culturally, special care is needed to ensure that there is a shared understanding between the GP and the patient about the information provided.

The Australian Council for Quality and Safety in Health Care encourages patients to actively discuss with their health care provider the purpose, importance, benefits and risks associated with their health care. The publication 'Ten tips for safer health care' (available at www.safetyandquality.org/articles/Publications/10tipsumclnbx.pdf) provides further detail⁷. Practices may find it useful to refer patients to this information to help create an understanding of shared responsibility between the patient and the practice.

The provision of information about medicines and medicine safety (including Consumer Medicines Information [CMI]) may assist patients to make informed decisions about their medicines. Consumer Medicines Information provides an online version of leaflets produced by pharmaceutical companies for the general public and is available at www.racgp.org.au/medicineinformation⁸.

Should a patient decide not to follow the advice of the GP after receiving sufficient information to make an informed decision about their care, their refusal and their awareness of its implications as discussed with the GP should be documented in the patient health record (criterion 2.1.1).

Indicators

1. our GP(s) can describe how they inform patients about the purpose, importance, benefits and risks of proposed investigations, referrals or treatments (interview)
2. our GP(s) can describe how they use leaflets, brochures or written information to support their explanation of the diagnosis and management of conditions when appropriate (interview)
3. our practice has used patient feedback to establish whether patients of our practice receive sufficient information about the purpose, importance, benefits and risks of proposed investigations, referrals or treatments proposed by their GP to enable them to make informed decisions about their health (patient feedback)
4. our GP(s) can describe how they provide information (printed or otherwise) about medicines and medicine safety to patients (interview).

Publication Date: 17 August 2007
Authorised By: Standards