Episode Details

In this episode of Talking O&G: a RANZCOG Podcast, host Dr Vijaya Karanam speaks to obstetrician Dr Penny Sheehan, consumer Yvonne Maringa, and midwife Deborah Pidd about the vital role informed consent plays in everyday clinical practice. 

They outline the fundamentals of the recently released signposting guideline Consent and provision of information to patients regarding proposed treatments (C-Gen 2). Dr Sheehan and Ms Pidd discuss the responsibilities of clinicians to ensure patients are informed, respected, and feel empowered to ask questions and engage in shared decision-making. They emphasise that consent is relational, not transactional, and establishing a relationship of trust is essential. 

Ms Maringa shares what good informed consent looks like and means to the patient, and how clinicians can help them to feel informed and safe even in high-pressure, time-sensitive situations.  

They all highlight the importance of patient-centred, culturally responsive, and individualised care as core aspects of embedding informed consent into practice.  

🔗 Resources mentioned in this episode: 

• Consent and provision of information to patients regarding proposed treatment (C-Gen 2) Signposting Statement to National Guidance 

• Safer Care Victoria: Respectful Maternity and Newborn Care Framework 

• The Mothers on Respect (MOR) index: measuring quality, safety, and human rights in childbirth 

• The Mother’s Autonomy in Decision Making (MADM) scale: Patient-led development and psychometric testing of a new instrument to evaluate experience of maternity care 

📌 RANZCOG members can submit CPD at: https://shorturl.at/iq733  

💬 If you found this episode valuable, please rate, review, subscribe, and share it with your colleagues. 

RANZCOG acknowledges the need for more inclusive terminology for gender diversity. In this podcast we aim to use inclusive language, and any use of the term “women” should be interpreted to include all people requiring gynaecological and obstetric care.   

The views expressed are those of the speakers and may not reflect the official position of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG).