Informed Consent for Chiropractic Care: Comparing Patients’ Perceptions to the Legal Requirements

Purpose: Patients’ perspectives of informed consent for chiropractic care have not been investigated. This study explored how patients of chiropractors perceived the exchange of risk information during informed consent. Methods: Interviews were conducted with 26 participants, recruited from chiropractic clinics. Interview transcripts were analyzed using a constant comparative method of analysis. Findings: Participants experienced informed consent as an on-going process where risk perceptions were shaped throughout four distinct stages. In the first stage information acquired prior to arriving at the clinic for treatment shaped perceptions of risk. In the second stage participants assessed the perceived competence of the practitioners. Participants then signed the consent form and discussed the risks with t heir practitioner. Finally, they communicated with their practitioners during treatment to ensure their pain threshold was not crossed. Conclusion: These findings suggest that patients perceive informed consent as a social process involving on-going communication with their practitioners.MAS