The purpose of this article is to examine the process of informed consent as it relates to the practice of psychology and as a part of Human relations Standards (3.10) of the American Psychological Association Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. Before a psychologist provides any type of psychological service to a client/patient, whether it involves conducting research, administering a test or assessment/ therapy, counseling, clinical supervision, or providing consulting services, he or she must ensure that informed consent is obtained (oral, written, or other methods). This information must be delivered using language that is reasonably understandable to a competent individual. The term reasonably understandable describes the level of complexity and completeness that is required of psychologist when obtaining informed consent. The process of informed consent implies that a patient/client is made fully aware of the purpose as to why a service is being provided, the intended use of the information, and the benefits and risks associated with the process, involvement of any third parties, and limits and risks of confidentiality. It is recognized as a decision-making process where a psychologist communicates sufficient information to a potential client/patient so that he or she is able to make a well-informed decision as to whether they will participate in the professional relationship. If any information is taken during the session whether it is written, video, or audio, the client/patient is to be made aware of how this information will be used, if it will be released or disclosed to others a formal writing is to be provided indicating who these individuals will be. While the informed consent process is recognized as an important aspect for any psychologist to cover when it involves providing any type of service to a client this can often times be neglected which places the psychologists in jeopardy for lawsuits or loss of licensure. The informed consent process, is just that, a process, and not a single event not only protects the privacy rights of the client/patient but safeguards the psychologist from being liable in the case that a client/patient reports they were not adequately informed about a psychological service.

There are approximately 1.4 million cases of traumatic brain injury (TBI) per year in the United States, with about 23 000 survivors requiring hospitalization. The incidence of TBI has increased in the patient population of the Department of Defense and Veterans Healthcare Administration as a result of injuries suffered during recent military and combat operations. Within the past few years, TBI has emerged as a common form of injury in service members with a subset of patients experiencing postinjury symptoms that greatly affect their quality of life. Traumatic brain injury can occur when sudden trauma (ie, penetration blast or blunt) causes damage to the brain. Traumatic brain injury produces a cascade of potentially injurious processes that include focal contusions and cytotoxic damage. The results of TBI can include impaired physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functioning, which may or may not require the initiation of pharmacological and nonpharmacological interventions when deemed appropriate. Associated outcomes of TBI include alterations in mental state at the time of injury (confusion, disorientation, slowed thinking, and alteration of consciousness). Neurological deficits include loss of balance, praxis, aphasia, change in vision that may or may not be transient. Individuals who sustain a TBI are more likely to have or developed co-occurring conditions (ie, sleep problems, headaches, depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder) that may require the administration of multiple medications. It has been identified that veterans being discharged on central nervous system and muscular skeletal drug classes can develop addiction and experience medication misadventures. With the severity of TBI being highly variable but typically categorized as either mild, moderate, or severe, it can assist health care providers in determining which patients are more susceptible to medication misadventures compared with others. The unique development of cognitive and emotional symptoms of TBI can lead to significant impairments, so it is important for all health care providers, including pharmacists, to promote proper use of high-risk psychotropic medications among this patient population by providing effective medication education.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract