The consent process is the non-delegable duty of the physician. Take these steps to eliminate the “You never told me...” or “If I had only known...” allegations often heard when there are less than optimal treatment outcomes.
Standing out in an age of health care consumerism is the challenge and the opportunity for medical practices. Creating an extraordinary patient experience could be the answer.
The responsibility of a specialist to make a referral to another specialist — or instead rely on the primary care physician — will depend on a number of variables. But at the very least, the medical record on the issue should avoid ambiguity.
So many stakeholders, so much information, so many opportunities for ineffective communication — all can promote and multiply the threats to patient safety and physician liability during the patient’s transition from one setting to another.