Ethics and professionalism CPD for health practitioners in Australia [email protected]
Sign in Choose courses

Online course · Australia

Informed Consent and Financial Consent in Australian Practice

Valid Consent, Capacity, Material Risks and Clear Fees Before Treatment

  • About 3 hours
  • 20 scenario questions
  • Reflective account
  • Certificate of completion
  • Online, self-paced

About this course

Consent goes wrong in Australia less often because a form is missing than because the conversation missed what mattered to the patient, or the fee came as a surprise. This three-hour course covers the law and the practice of consent and financial consent across every registered profession.

The course starts with why consent matters, the elements of valid consent, the sources of obligation and the different forms consent can take. It then works through the material risk test from Rogers v Whitaker, what to discuss, communicating risk, patients who do not want to know and the consequences of failure to warn.

Capacity is covered in depth, including the presumption of capacity, assessment in practice, supported decision-making, substitute decision-makers, advance care directives and emergencies. Children and young people get their own section, including mature minors, state legislation, special medical procedures and confidentiality.

Later sections address consent in particular settings (telehealth, students, recordings, intimate examinations, prescribed processes and refusal), informed financial consent with clear estimates, Medicare and insurance information, recent developments in fee transparency, financial interests and pressure, and documenting and sustaining good consent practice.

What you will learn

  • Explain what makes consent valid and where your legal and professional obligations come from
  • Identify the risks that matter to a particular patient using the Rogers v Whitaker test
  • Communicate benefits, risks, alternatives and uncertainty so they are understood
  • Assess capacity, support decision-making and identify the lawful substitute decision-maker
  • Apply the rules for children and young people, including mature minors and court-authorised treatment
  • Adapt consent for telehealth, recordings, students and intimate examinations
  • Give written estimates that show fees, likely rebates and the gap before the patient commits
  • Write a consent note that would show a reader what you said, what the patient understood and what they chose

Who this course is for

  • Registered practitioners in every profession
  • Practitioners who perform procedures or interventions with significant risks
  • Practitioners who care for children, young people or adults with impaired capacity
  • Practice owners and managers who set fee and quoting processes
  • Educators who teach consent to students

How the course works

  1. Once you enrol, open the course from My Courses whenever it suits you. It runs in your browser on desktop or mobile, with nothing to install.

  2. Read 32 lessons grouped into 7 sections. Each lesson unlocks when you finish the one before, and your progress is kept in your browser between visits.

  3. Pause on the worked scenarios and reflection prompts. Anything you type is kept in your course pack, which you can download in Word format or print to PDF.

  4. Complete the final assessment of 20 scenario-based questions with a pass mark of 80% (16 of 20). Retakes are allowed.

  5. After the reflective account and feedback, the course is marked complete in your account and your certificate of completion becomes available. It states the estimated learning time (about 3 hours); log the time you actually spend.

Course content

8 sections · About 3 hours · 20-question final assessment

1Foundations of Valid Consent4 lessons
  • Why Consent Matters
  • The Elements of Valid Consent
  • Where Your Obligations Come From
  • Forms of Consent: Implied, Verbal and Written
2Material Risk and the Information Patients Need5 lessons
  • Rogers v Whitaker and the Material Risk Test
  • What to Discuss: Nature, Purpose, Benefits, Risks and Alternatives
  • Communicating Risk So It Is Understood
  • Questions, Uncertainty and Patients Who Do Not Want to Know
  • Failure to Warn: Causation and Consequences
3Capacity and Supported Decision-Making5 lessons
  • The Presumption of Capacity and the Functional Test
  • Assessing Capacity in Practice
  • Supported Decision-Making
  • When a Person Lacks Capacity: Substitute Decision-Makers and Advance Care Directives
  • Treatment in Emergencies
4Children and Young People4 lessons
  • Parents, Guardians and the Best Interests of the Child
  • Mature Minors and State Legislation
  • Special Medical Procedures and Court Authorisation
  • Confidentiality, Family Involvement and Safety
5Consent in Particular Settings5 lessons
  • Telehealth and Remote Consent
  • Students, Observers, Recordings and Photographs
  • Intimate Examinations and Delegated Consent Discussions
  • Prescribed Consent Processes
  • Refusal and Withdrawal of Consent
6Informed Financial Consent5 lessons
  • What Financial Consent Means and Why It Matters
  • Building a Clear Estimate
  • Explaining Medicare, Insurance and Other Funding
  • Referrals, Fee Transparency and Recent Developments
  • Financial Interests, Inducements and Pressure
7Documenting and Sustaining Good Consent Practice4 lessons
  • What a Good Consent Record Contains
  • Using Consent Forms and Written Information Well
  • Consent as a Process Over Time
  • Team Processes and Learning from Consent Problems
8Conclusion, Final Assessment and Reflection4 lessons
  • Conclusion and key points
  • References and quick-reference guide
  • Final assessment (20 questions, 80% pass mark)
  • Your reflective account

Assessment and certificate

  • Certificate of completion stating the estimated learning time (about 3 hours); record the time you actually spend.
  • A written reflective account you can keep with your CPD records.

Questions about this course

What is the material risk test?

It comes from the High Court's 1992 decision in Rogers v Whitaker. You must warn of a risk if a reasonable person in the patient's position would probably think it significant, or if you know, or should know, that this patient would.

Is a signed consent form enough?

No. A form is evidence that a conversation took place, but valid consent depends on the information given and understood. The course explains how to use forms well.

Does the course cover informed financial consent?

Yes. A full section covers estimates, Medicare and private health insurance, referrals and fee transparency, and managing financial interests.

Are the rules on consent for children the same across Australia?

No. Approaches to mature minors and treatment needing court authorisation vary between states and territories. The course explains the common principles and where to check local law.

How should I record this course in my CPD log?

Log the date, the course name and the time you actually spend; the certificate shows only the estimated learning time. Add two or three lines on what you will do differently, and file the certificate next to your reflective account.

Who runs this course?

Probity Courses, an education provider with no affiliation to Ahpra, the National Boards or any regulator. Your Board's own codes and guidelines always take precedence over course material.

Related courses

A$309About 3 hours
Enrol