Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology
Practice Guidelines
Informed Consent
It is the responsibility of the audiologist or speech-language pathologist (SLP) to ensure that the patient and/or the patient's parents or guardians understand the nature of the services being provided and have agreed to the provision of those services. A licensee should be able to document that s/he has the informed consent of the client or the client's parent/guardian before providing services.
Licensees should give clients, or their parents/guardians clear information on:
- the nature of the services that will be provided
- the approximate duration of treatment
- the expected effects of treatment, including benefits and possible negative effects
- confidentiality of records. Specifically, clients should be made a ware that no persons or agencies will have access to information about them and their treatment without their written permission
Note: Informed consent is a requirement in writing
if a person is to participate in any form of research or in
procedures currently under investigation. (See Experimental Treatment.)
