Now a larger consideration for physicians is financial liability. Parents are not obligated to pay for treatment and procedures for which they did not consent. The financial responsibility falls on the minor who requested it. Obviously, this could be costly for the facility, and therefore a decision has to be made to either disrupt continuity of care and refer to an outside facility or absorb the cost. This can be a challenging decision. Disclosing to the minor that payment sent through the insurance might unintentionally breach the confidentiality of the treatment is also an important consideration if the minor’s desire is to keep the parent uninformed.
The issue of consent to treatment when it comes to minors is multifaceted. Maintaining the trust of the parent and gaining the trust of the adolescent is tricky when the lines of communication between them are limited. Establishing early a relationship of trust with the parent to advise and treat the child appropriately in the event he or she does present with complex issues will settle many of the issues. More importantly, as pediatricians our goal is to establish a relationship with the adolescent so that he or she knows where to go to get good sound advice and treatment to ensure good health and prevent avoidable consequences.
Dr. Pearce is a pediatrician in Frankfort, Ill. E-mail her at pdnews@frontlinemedcom.com. Scan this QR code to view similar columns or go to pediatricnews.com.