Course aims
The aims and objectives of this online Informed Consent in Health and Social Care training course are to improve the awareness of the importance of obtaining informed consent before undertaking and procedures or providing care.
Learning outcomes
On completion of this online Informed Consent in Health and Social Care training course, the learner will:
- Know critical factors to consider when obtaining consent,
- Improve their understanding of the legislation regarding consent in health and social care environments,
- Be able to identify and apply the primary forms of consent in routine practice,
- Understand the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005, and
- Improve awareness of mental capacity assessment and deprivation of liberty safeguards.
What is informed consent?
Informed consent is a process for getting permission before conducting a healthcare intervention on a person, or for disclosing personal information. A health care provider may ask a patient to consent to receive therapy before providing it, or a clinical researcher may ask a research participant before enrolling that person into a clinical trial. Informed consent is collected according to guidelines from the fields of medical ethics and research ethics.
Informed consent can be said to have been given based upon an evident appreciation and understanding of the facts, implications, and consequences of an action. Adequate informed consent is rooted in respecting a person’s dignity. To give informed consent, the individual concerned must have appropriate reasoning faculties and have all relevant facts. Impairments to reasoning and judgment that may prevent informed consent include basic intellectual or emotional immaturity, high levels of stress such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or severe intellectual disability, severe mental disorder, intoxication, severe sleep deprivation, Alzheimer’s disease, or being in a coma.
Why is online Informed Consent training essential in health and social care?
It is fundamental in health and care that the person receiving the care or treatment, i.e. the patient/client, agrees to receive it. That is that he or she provides informed consent to receiving the care or treatment. By ‘informed’ we mean that the patient/client understands exactly what is going to happen because you or a senior colleague have explained it in a way that he or she can easily understand.
Our online Informed Consent in Health and Social Care training course covers the legal and professional responsibilities relating to informed consent.
What is covered in this course?
This online Informed Consent in Health and Social Care e-learning course covers the following:
- An introduction to the fundamental principles for consenting to treatments or procedures,
- What the law says about consent,
- Definition of informed consent,
- How to respond to patient requests and questions,
- Other factors to consider when obtaining consent,
- Definition of voluntary consent,
- Understanding the fundamental principles of adult competence,
- Refusal of treatment,
- How capacity is assessed,
- What to do if a patient or service user lacks the capacity,
- What support is available for people who cannot consent,
- How to support people who lack capacity in practice,
- The Mental Capacity Act 2005,
- Key provisions to protect vulnerable adults when obtaining consent,
- Court referrals for adults who lack the capacity,
- Definition of advance decisions,
- Issues around children and consent,
- Understanding parental responsibilities,
- Complex situations concerning consent,
- Definition of delegated consent,
- The primary forms of consent,
- Consent forms that are used in healthcare environments,
- Key points to remember about the consent process, and
- Where to find further information on consent (online learning resources).
Consent in Health and Social Care - Level 2 - Online Course - CPD Accredited.
