Dr.s offices DO have patients sign a consent to treat form that is global.  We have all our patients register as outpatients. An electronic medical record is created and used for documentation.  Our hospital was told 3 or 4 years ago that if they did not charge for outpatient visits, lactation consultant expenses would become part of the "marketing" budget.  As such, those expenses could not be considered part of the hospital's operational costs that are patient-care related but more as inducements - similarly to the way pharmaceutical marketing gifts are considered. 

-----Original Message-----
From: Lactation Information and Discussion [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Amy J. Macke
Sent: Thursday, July 15, 2010 9:11 PM
Subject: Consent for lactation consult

This message is for Liz Brooks or anyone else who may know the legal ins and outs of seeing breastfeeding mom and baby as outpatients postpartum. We currently (hospital)allow mother's to come back as many times as they need for assistance from either an IBCLC or a CLC. We do not charge for our services and we do not register them. We do document history, assessment and treatment plan on paper charting and keep it on file. Do we have a legal obligation to have mom sign a consent for treatment?Some of the staff believe there is implied consent since mom calls and asks for an appointment while others think we need mom to sign a consent. What are the legal risks for not having a consent for treatment? Dr. offices don't have patients sign consents for treatment when they make an appointment is a lactation consult the same? Also, how long should we keep our records on file?
Thanks for any input.

             ***********************************************

Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail 2. To start it again: set lactnet mail 3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet 4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome

             ***********************************************

Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail
2. To start it again: set lactnet mail
3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome