Question: How is patient consent to Virtual Care (VC) facilitated?
Context: While written consent is not required when using telephone or teleconferencing technology to interact with patients (see our posting about patient acceptance of digital communications), patients should be informed about their options when switching from in-person to virtual care.
Answer: Patients have the right to consider the pros and cons of VC and to request an alternate method of conducting their healthcare interaction within the limits set by circumstance and resources. A simple script illustrates (see Crib-Sheet) exemplifies how this can be done efficiently at the time of booking an appointment and starting a visit.