Ethics, Law, Patient ID and Scheduling

Types of Consent

Consent is the patient's permission to be examined, and touching a patient without it can be battery. Implied consent is shown by actions, such as placing an arm on the table for a routine radiograph, and it also covers emergency care of an unconscious patient, because the law assumes that patient would want life-saving treatment. Oral consent is a spoken agreement after a routine, low-risk exam is explained. Informed consent is required for invasive or higher-risk procedures such as arthrograms and lumbar punctures, and it explains the procedure, risks, benefits and alternatives and invites questions. The physician performing the procedure obtains informed consent, and the radiographer may sign as a witness. A patient may withdraw consent at any time, even after signing, and the radiographer must then stop and notify the physician.