Posted by My OB said WHAT?!?.
Jan
1
Posted by My OB said WHAT?!?.
“You Can’t Change The Consent Form!”
“You can’t change the consent form!” -Doctor’s office staff to a mother who was trying to alter a general consent form to exclude portions she didn’t like. The form specifically stated she *could* cross out anything.
There are 25 comments to this post.
Heheheh. Not only did I add/cross out, I also corrected the spelling and grammar errors. ;0
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Sam Reply:
January 1st, 2012 at 3:10 pm (Quote)
Were you in labour at the time?? o_O
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Dee Reply:
January 1st, 2012 at 3:23 pm (Quote)
No, thankfully! 
This was at the ‘pre op’ consultation with the hospital–loads of forms–around week 30. The lady there had a major power trip going–she was an administrator, not someone with medical training. She was the only person who did the pre-admits for L&D, and she reveled in it (not in a good way–for example, she liked keeping people waiting while she took breaks so she could ‘show us’ she was controlling). I think I submitted a comment from her here before–she asked about prior pregnancies (just barely a year earlier, I’d had a M/C), and I got a little emotional/choked up when answering. She told me to stop getting teary on her. And she insisted I’d have an epidural if not other drugs to boot (she even wanted to pre-bill for the anesthesiologist copay, which I refused). I wrote her a coldly polite letter after my med-free birth and told her not only did I not appreciate her comment on my number of pregnancies, I did not have to have any medication, nullifying her prediction. And that she should re-think her approach to assisting future L&D patients, as she was not a trained medical professional. When I put addendums on the consent form, I added things like “Must ask patient or patient’s spouse specific permission prior to this procedure” and similar items. Don’t know if it would have mattered, but we got a great L&D nurse.
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Tee Reply:
January 1st, 2012 at 4:12 pm (Quote)
I remember that story. Makes me just as angry now as it did when you first submitted it.
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Kristin Reply:
January 1st, 2012 at 6:40 pm (Quote)
Yeah, the form they gave me was not only fully of misspellings and terrible grammar, but it was also several years out of date.
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SculptorAlison Reply:
January 16th, 2012 at 3:00 pm (Quote)
While I know these forms are probably not written by the doctors themselves, I always find it funny how many spelling and grammatical errors I see doctors make on blogs and such. It’s just funny to me since they are often so uppity about their education.
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I started modifying my kids’ permission slips at school to say “except due to negligence.” The school didn’t like that, but instead of saying anything to me, they altered their forms to say “This form may not be modified.” So now I change the permission slip AND cross out the line that says “this form may not be modified,” initialing where I crossed it out.
The above doctor seems to think consenting to one thing means you consent to everything that could possibly ever be done to you, or worse, the doctor doesn’t feel like remembering what a particular patient legally empowered him/her to do.
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PetraStrider Reply:
January 1st, 2012 at 4:28 pm (Quote)
That’s awesome Jane!
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Erica Douglas Reply:
January 1st, 2012 at 5:15 pm (Quote)
Jane, I LOVE the idea of altering school permission slips! That is such a great idea!!
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Kit had this to say,
Jan 1, 2012 @ 6:34 pm (Quote)
Jane, while I agree that you are completely able to alter school permission slip forms, you don’t need to. No court in the country would say that a permission slip would release a teacher/school official in the case of negligent behavior.
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Jane Reply:
January 2nd, 2012 at 5:14 am (Quote)
I’ve read enough stupid court decisions that I no longer trust the courts not to say “Well, it says she releases them from all liability, so even though the school allowed the third graders to drive the school bus home from the museum, the parents DID release them from all liability, so….”
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This one was mine. I was about 32 weeks, and they handed me the general consent form while I was in the exam room. The doctor told me, “Just sign this so we have permission to deliver your baby,” and left the room. I started reading it and noticed some things I didn’t like. Things like the hospital could keep any tissue that came out of me for research or teaching purposes, or the line where I consented to them doing ANYTHING to get the baby out of me. (In my mind, the crazy doctors might decide that chopping a leg off might be “necessary” and since I “consented” by signing the form, I wouldn’t be able to sue later).
I was still reading the form when I nurse came in to clean the room and gave me a look of “are you STILL here?” and told me that I could finish reading the form in the lobby and give it to the receptionist when I was through signing it.
I went out to finish reading the form, which I realized was horribly out-dated, as it listed several doctors that no longer were in practice, and the receptionist noticed I had a pen and was crossing things out. The form said in the very first paragraph that I could cross out anything I didn’t agree with or had objections to. Like the part where they would “study” my tissue…
She practically yelled at me to stop, saying that I was not allowed to alter the form in any way, and now she would have to print out a new form. I told her the form said I could change it, and she got all huffy and told me to wait. (I should have left, silly, naive little me).
They put me back in an empty exam room and my doctor came back in a few minutes later. She was in a hurry, I could tell and asked me what problems I had with the form. I told her I wanted to take out the parts I was uncomfortable with. She proceeded to brow beat me and bully me into signing the form, unaltered. Had my husband been with me and not at work, I think I would have had the courage to stand up a little for myself. As it was I nearly had a panic attack in the office (I have generalized anxiety disorder, which the doctor knew about) and was shaking when I got to my car. I cried the whole way home (while driving) and my husband was more than pissed when I told him what happened.
Because of my medical issues at the time, I had to have a hospital birth. Which went … okay, I guess. But next time, I think I’ll go to a birthing center with a midwife who doesn’t think she’s God.
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Kristy Reply:
January 2nd, 2012 at 3:45 am (Quote)
Sounds like your right to change the form was one of the things they considered out-dated. Must have been written back when the doc was only a demigod and could still… on rare occasions… be questioned. 
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PetraStrider Reply:
January 2nd, 2012 at 6:37 am (Quote)
I’m so sorry this happened to you Kristin. Bullying in all cases are wrong, but for some reason it’s not even seen as bullying when it is a medical professional to their patient. (Although I’m optimistic that the tides are changing.)
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Dee Reply:
January 2nd, 2012 at 6:55 am (Quote)
Ugh!!! Sorry–they sounded like a pretty horrible practice.
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first time mommy Reply:
January 2nd, 2012 at 8:32 am (Quote)
So sorry you were treated so horribly I know doctors are required to take an oath stating they are not God and therefore should not attempt to be God. Maybe that’s out-dated too
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Vanessa Reply:
January 2nd, 2012 at 9:49 pm (Quote)
It’s moments like this that I would love to carry around a patients bill of rights. It CLEARLY states in the bill of rights that a patient has the right to refuse any treatment or procedure they don’t want to have. Sorry this happened and I hope if anything like this ever does happen again that you can find the courage within yourself to say I have the RIGHT to do this and if you don’t like it then I just won’t sign it period and talk to my lawyer. I’m sure that will change their attitude!
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Melissa Reply:
January 3rd, 2012 at 12:12 pm (Quote)
I’m so sorry that you had this experience. I am constantly frustrated by the vast gap that exists between “sign the damn form” and true informed consent. I’m glad that you feel empowered to explore other options when you are blessed with another pregnancy. One tiny word of caution–don’t assume that a birth center or midwife doesn’t require careful review as well. There are many wonderful caregivers out there, but I’ve had as many bad experiences with a birth center and midwifery center as I’ve had with OBs. Always good to check what you’re being asked to sign!
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Kristen,
My blood just boils hearing your story. I want to go to the doctors’ office and yell at them. How dare they force you to sign a consent form written exactly in the words that they want?! What utter nerve! They should have entered into a discussion with you to work out language that both you and they were confortable with.
When I was pregnant with my fourth child, the doctor started to hand me their standard consent form to sign. I burst out laughing and said, “You know I won’t sign it as is.” She knew me well enough to realize how many changes I would demand. She then asked me to take it home, make all my changes, and then we would discuss the final version at my next appointment. Even though in the end, I agreed to things that I didn’t like such as a heplock, I felt respected through out the process of developing and signing a consent form.
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Oh yeah? Watch me.
Even if the form didn’t specifically call that out, it’s her legal right. Just line it out and initial it, mamas.
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