Hi, All:  I know I am way behind in my reading of Lacnet - hope to catch up 
today while it's not too busy.  US hospitals require a patient signature on 
a "health care consent" form for any contact they have with a HCP in the 
hospital.  If a patient comes in for some labwork or test in the hospital, he 
needs to sign a healthcare consent form.  If he is being admitted to the 
hospital, he (or a designated family member) must sign.  If I see a mom and 
her baby as an outpatient, she must sign a healtcare consent form before I do 
anything.  When I see moms/babies as inpatients, she has already signed the 
consent form on admission to the hospital.  This signed form gives me 
permission to share pertinent information about my care of her with the 
appropriate HCP (doc, nurse, other LC, WIC clinic personnel, etc.).  We fax a 
written report to the doctor after any outpatient consult we do and are 
protected under HIPPA by her signed healthcare consent form.
WIC and other outpatient clinics/doctors offices also have similar forms - 
maybe those of you who work in the outpatient setting can look for this form 
in the mom's or baby's paperwork.


Pam Hirsch, BSN,RN,IBCLC
Clinical Lead, Lactation Services
Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital
Barrington, IL   USA

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