Risk Management

NEW – Oculofacial Informed Consent Forms

OMIC is pleased to offer 10 new procedure-specific consent forms for oculofacial plastic surgeons. These forms were prepared by OMIC Board Member, Ronald W. Pelton, MD, PhD, an oculofacial plastic surgery sub-specialist practicing in Colorado Springs, Colorado. They are intended as sample forms and contain information OMIC recommends you as the surgeon personally discuss with the patient. Please review and modify to fit your practice.

• Anterior orbitotomy: http://www.omic.com/anterior-orbiotomy-consent-form/
• Ectropion: http://www.omic.com/ectropion-consent-form/
• Entropion: http://www.omic.com/entropion-consent-form/
• Evisceration/Enucleation: http://www.omic.com/eviscerationenucleation-consent-form/
• Facial Bone Repair: http://www.omic.com/facial-bone-repair-consent-form/
• Lagophthalmos Surgery with Gold Weight: http://www.omic.com/lagophthalmos-surgery-with-a-gold-weight-consent-form/
• Optic Nerve Sheath Fenestration (ONSF) http://www.omic.com/optic-nerve-sheath-fenestration-consent-form/
• Orbital Decompression Surgery: http://www.omic.com/orbital-decompression-surgery-consent-form/
• Orbital Fracture Repair: http://www.omic.com/orbital-fracture-repair-consent-form/
• Repair of Defect After Skin Cancer Removal: http://www.omic.com/repair-of-defect-after-skin-cancer-removal-consent-form/

OMIC is also pleased to announce a new plain-language version of the blepharoplasty consent form. This form was developed by our Board and Committee members Drs. Ron Pelton and Rob Fante and OMIC Risk Manager Anne Menke.

• http://www.omic.com/blepharoplasty-consent-form/

Oculofacial page: http://www.omic.com/risk-management/ophthalmology/oculoplastics/

The importance of a procedure-specific consent form in relation to defense of a claim for malpractice

Without a document signed by the patient listing the risks specific to the procedure, the jury will be confronted with two entirely different versions of what was discussed. Unfortunately, it is quite rare that handwritten chart notes are as comprehensive as a procedure-specific informed consent document. However, such a note in the patient’s chart, coupled with a procedure-specific informed consent document, presents a formidable defense. If you spend a significant amount of time with a patient discussing a procedure, be sure to document the discussion, including how much time was spent. This helps refute claims that the physician was “in and out” of the room and did not seriously address the patient’s concerns.  Lastly, we encourage you to send the patient home with a copy of the consent form.  This gives the patient more time to review the form and potentially invalidates the  claim that the patient couldn’t remember the issues discussed.

OMIC policyholders may contact our confidential Risk Management Hotline with questions about these consent forms and other risk management resources. Call 800-562-6642 option 4 or email riskmanagement@omic.com.