■ The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) recently expressed its support of a patient's right to be informed of the benefits and risks of any health care treatment as the Connecticut State Board of Chiropractic Examiners begins testimony on the issuf. of informed consent. When testimony ends, the board is expected to make a determination of what information chiropractic physicians should include as part of an informed consent discussion with patients before beginning treatment. "Informed consent is already mandatory for all health care professionals in Connecticut and the chiropractic profession fully supports a patient's right to be informed of the benefits and risks of any type of health care treatment—not just chiropractic treatment." said ACA Vice President Dr. Keith Overland, who practices in Norwalk. Conn. "Legislation or regulations governing informed consent should apply to all health care providers in equal measure." In respect to informed consent, it is ACA's position that there is no substitute fora confidential, in-person discussion between a doctor and a patient. Each patient has his/her own individual questions and circumstances that deserve individual attention. SOURCE American Chiropractic Association
