Informed Consent: Sharing the Decision (ICONS) (Birmingham)

Provided by

About the course

Overview - This is a brand-new educational initiative, developed as a direct and constructive response to the communication inadequacies exposed by the Montgomery case, and subsequent legislation. While it is not difficult to give ‘more information’ it is harder for surgeons and patients to achieve a decision partnership. The ICONS workshop content has been informed by internationally recognised experts in Shared Decision Making, by consensus meetings of small groups of senior practising surgeons in different disciplines, by patients and by professional experts in risk management and risk communication. Delegates on the ICONS workshops will acquire skills and knowledge to implement best practice in sharing the complex decisions surrounding informed consent. By participating in a workshop, they will also contribute to the development of resources for future training in the important area of informed consent.

Target Audience - Consultants, SAS grades and senior trainees.

Learning Style - A short series of brief topic introductions, small group tuition based on video resources and indicative scenarios.

Aims & Objectives - This one-day workshop aims to improve understanding of the behavioural changes demanded by post Montgomery legislation. It will help you to consider strengths and weaknesses in your own current practice and provide an opportunity for you to explore efficient methods of eliciting patient needs, preferences and values in your busy clinics, communication strategies and individualised patient risk profiling. The workshop will help you to identify what forms of decision aid might work best for you in your areas of particular interest in the future and will prepare you to help others in your team understand the challenges of decision sharing.

Learning Outcomes - Having attended the ICONS workshop you will be able to: • Explain the behavioural changes demanded by post Montgomery legislation • Use appropriate language for balanced, ‘realistic’ surgeon-patient interactions • Communicate information on risk appropriate to patient needs • Identify your own framing habits • Provide constructive responses to the question “What would you do Dr?” • Employ efficient methods of eliciting patient needs, preferences and values in your busy clinics • Discuss individualised risk profiling with your perioperative team.

Related article

Donna Cummins offers guidance for budding dermatology trainees looking for the right course or event to match their interests and stage of training