Informed consent represents an on-going dialogue between psychologist and patient and not merely the rote dissemination of a predetermined set of facts. Thus, the information provided at the beginning of treatment may be insufficient as treatment progresses, treatment plans change, or new clinical issues unfold. Ongoing discussions regarding treatment, therefore, may be warranted. . Service brochures or informed consent forms may be helpful if they supplement, not replace, the dialogue between psychologist and patient. Such forms can include basic information about billing policies, scheduling appointments, policy on cancellations, common exceptions to confidentiality, etc.
Psychologists can make several mistakes when implementing the informed consent requirement.
One mistake is to place undue reliance upon a written form. Handelsman et al. Another mistake is the failure to tailor the information to the needs of the patient. Extensive discussions about the law surrounding the limits to confidentiality may, for example, have a chilling effect on the patients and leave them confused and frustrated. A detailed description of the exceptions to confidentiality necessitated by the Child Protective Services Law, for example, might be unnecessary when working with a childless couple.