QUESTION
Can hospital admit and treat a patient without a consent form?
Asked on Oct 27th, 2012 on Medical Malpractice - Ohio
More details to this question:
Patient was unconsicence when arrived at hospital doctor did not inform spouse the need to admit patient nor did doctor talk with spouse about patient condition, patient died two days later and only reply to the spouse was a bill in the mail.
1 ANSWER
John T. Bulloch
Normally a doctor and hospital has to obtain informed consent before rendering care. The broad exceptions are in emergencies or natural extensions of procedures. his admission sounds as if it would have fit within the emergency exception rule. However, within 2 days certainly someone should have talked to you if you were legally married. That said, it doesn't sound like you have much of a case for lack of informed consent, but perhaps you should ask an attorney to investigate the cause of your husband's death.
Answered on Oct 29th, 2012 at 10:09 AM