TITLE 25.HEALTH SERVICES

Part 7. TEXAS MEDICAL DISCLOSURE PANEL

Chapter 601. INFORMED CONSENT

25 TAC §§601.2 - 601.5, 601.8

The Texas Medical Disclosure Panel (panel) proposes amendments to §§601.2 - 601.5 and 601.8, concerning informed consent.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

These amendments are proposed in accordance with the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, §74.102, which requires the panel to determine which risks and hazards related to medical care and surgical procedures must be disclosed by health care providers or physicians to their patients or persons authorized to consent for their patients and to establish the general form and substance of such disclosure. The sections cover procedures requiring full disclosure of specific risks and hazards--list A, procedures requiring no disclosure of specific risks and hazards--list B, disclosure and consent form for medical and surgical procedures, disclosure and consent form for radiation therapy, and disclosure and consent form for hysterectomy.

SECTION-BY-SECTION SUMMARY

The proposed amendment to §601.2 adds procedures and risks and hazards for the cardiovascular system and nervous system treatments and procedures. The proposed amendment to §601.3 removes procedures relating to the nervous system and radiology that the panel proposes be moved to §601.2. The proposed amendments to §§601.4 and 601.5 add a Spanish language version of the disclosure and consent form for medical and surgical procedures, and the disclosure and consent form for radiation therapy. The proposed amendment to §601.8 makes editorial corrections to the disclosure and consent for hysterectomy form and corrects a difference between the English and Spanish language versions of the form.

FISCAL NOTE

Cindy Bednar, Manager, Facility Licensing Group, Regulatory Licensing Unit, Department of State Health Services, has determined that for each year of the first five years the sections are in effect, there will be no fiscal implications to state or local governments as a result of enforcing and administering the sections as proposed.

SMALL AND MICRO-BUSINESS IMPACT ANALYSIS

Ms. Bednar has also determined that there are no anticipated economic costs to small businesses, micro-businesses, or to persons who are required to comply with the amendments as proposed because regulated facilities already have an obligation to disclose risks and hazards related to the medical care and surgical procedures. The amendments will not add additional costs. There will be no impact on local employment.

PUBLIC BENEFIT

In addition, Ms. Bednar has also determined that for each year of the first five years the amendments are in effect, the public benefit anticipated as a result of enforcing or administering the amended sections will be the assurance that the panel continues to monitor the risks and hazards related to medical care and surgical procedures, which must be disclosed by health care providers or physicians to their patients or persons authorized to consent for their patients and the general form and substance of such disclosure.

REGULATORY ANALYSIS

The panel has determined that this proposal is not a "major environmental rule" as defined by Government Code, §2001.0225. "Major environmental rule" is defined to mean a rule the specific intent of which is to protect the environment or reduce risk to human health from environment exposure and that may adversely affect, in a material way, the economy, a sector of the economy, productivity, competition, jobs, the environment or the public health and safety of a state or a sector of the state. This proposal is not specifically intended to protect the environment or reduce risks to human health from environment exposure.

TAKINGS IMPACT ASSESSMENT

The panel has determined that the proposed amendments do not restrict or limit an owner's right to his or her property that would otherwise exist in the absence of government action and, therefore, do not constitute a taking under Government Code, §2007.043.

PUBLIC COMMENT

Comments on the proposal may be submitted to the Texas Medical Disclosure Panel, Attention: Cindy Bednar, Manager, Facility Licensing Group, Regulatory Licensing Unit, Department of State Health Services, 1100 West 49th Street, Austin, Texas 78756, (512) 834-6646 or by e-mail to Cindy.Bednar@dshs.state.tx.us. Comments will be accepted for 30 days following publication of the proposal in the Texas Register .

STATUTORY AUTHORITY

The amendments are proposed under the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, §74.102, which provides the Texas Medical Disclosure Panel with the authority to prepare lists of medical treatments and surgical procedures that do and do not require disclosure by physicians and health care providers of the possible risks and hazards and to prepare the form(s) for the treatments and procedures which do require disclosure.

The amendments affect Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, §74.102.

§601.2.Procedures Requiring Full Disclosure of Specific Risks and Hazards--List A.

(a) (No change.)

(b) Cardiovascular system. [ No procedures are assigned at this time. ]

(1) Cardiac.

(A) Surgical.

(i) Coronary artery bypass, valve replacement.

(I) Acute myocardial infarction.

(II) Hemorrhage.

(III) Kidney failure.

(IV) Stroke.

(V) Sudden death.

(VI) Infection of chest wall/chest cavity.

(VII) Valve related delayed onset infection.

(ii) Heart transplant.

(I) Infection.

(II) Rejection.

(III) Death.

(B) Non-Surgical--Coronary angioplasty, coronary stent insertion, pacemaker insertion, AICD insertion, and cardioversion.

(i) Acute myocardial infarction.

(ii) Rupture of myocardium.

(iii) Life threatening arrhythmias.

(iv) Necessity for emergency open heart surgery.

(v) Hemorrhage.

(vi) Stroke.

(vii) Sudden death.

(viii) Device related delayed onset infection.

(C) Diagnostic.

(i) Cardiac catheterization.

(I) Allergic sensitivity reaction to injected contrast media.

(II) Acute myocardial infarction.

(III) Kidney damage from IV contrast medium.

(IV) Arrhythmias.

(V) Stroke.

(VI) Injury to vessels that may require immediate surgical intervention.

(ii) Electrophysiologic studies.

(I) Cardiac perforation.

(II) Life threatening arrhythmias.

(III) Injury to vessels that may require immediate surgical intervention.

(iii) Stress testing--Acute myocardial infarction.

(iv) Transesophageal echocardiography --Esophageal perforation.

(2) Vascular.

(A) Open surgical repair of aortic, subclavian, and iliac, artery aneurysms or occlusions, and renal artery bypass.

(i) Hemorrhage.

(ii) Paraplegia.

(iii) Kidney damage.

(iv) Stroke.

(v) Acute myocardial infarction.

(vi) Infection of graft.

(B) Endovascular stenting of any portion of the aorta, iliac or carotid artery.

(i) Hemorrhage.

(ii) Injury to vessels that may require immediate surgical intervention.

(iii) Conversion of procedure to open procedure.

(iv) Failure to deliver stent/endoluminal graft.

(v) Stent migration.

(vi) Paraplegia (for thoracic aorta procedures only).

(vii) Vessel occlusion.

(viii) Pseudo aneurysm.

(ix) Irreversible kidney damage.

(x) Impotence (for abdominal aorta and iliac artery procedures only).

(xi) Stroke (for carotid artery procedures only).

(xii) Seizure (for carotid artery procedures only).

(C) Vascular thrombolysis.

(i) Hemorrhage.

(ii) Embolus.

(iii) Pulmonary complications.

(iv) Shock.

(c) - (l) (No change.)

(m) Nervous system treatments and procedures.

(1) Craniotomy , craniectomy or cranioplasty [ (craniectomy) for excision of brain tissue, tumor, vascular malformation and cerebral revascularization ].

(A) - (D) (No change.)

(E) Cerebral spinal fluid leak with potential for meningitis and severe headaches.

(F) Meningitis.

(G) Brain abscess.

(2) Cranial nerve operations [ Craniotomy (craniectomy) for cranial nerve operation including neurectomy, avulsion, rhizotomy or neurolysis ].

(A) (No change.)

(B) Recurrence , [ or ] continuation or worsening of the condition that required this operation.

(C) (No change.)

(D) New or different pain.

(3) Spine operation, including laminectomy, decompression, fusion, internal fixation or procedures for nerve root or spinal cord compression; diagnosis; pain; deformity; mechanical instability; injury; removal of tumor, abscess or hematoma (excluding coccygeal operations).

(A) (No change.)

(B) Impaired muscle function or paralysis .

(C) Incontinence , [ or ] impotence or impaired bowel function .

(D) (No change.)

(E) Recurrence , [ or ] continuation or worsening of the condition that required the operation.

(F) (No change.)

(G) Hemorrhage.

(4) Peripheral nerve operation; nerve grafts, decompression, transposition or tumor removal; neurorrhaphy, neurectomy or neurolysis.

(A) - (B) (No change.)

(C) Recurrence , continuation or worsening [ or persistence ] of the condition that required the operation.

(D) (No change.)

[ (5) Correction of cranial deformity.]

[ (A) Loss of brain function.]

[ (B) Seizures.]

[ (C) Recurrence or continuation of the condition that required this operation.]

(5) [ (6) ] Transphenoidal hypophysectomy or other pituitary gland operation.

(A) Spinal fluid leak.

(B) Necessity for hormone replacement.

(C) Recurrence or continuation of the condition that required this operation.

(D) Nasal septal deformity or perforation.

(6) [ (7) ] Cerebral spinal fluid shunting procedure or revision.

(A) Shunt obstruction , migration or infection.

(B) Seizure disorder.

(C) Recurrence or continuation of brain dysfunction.

(D) Injury to internal organs.

(E) Possible brain injury or hemorrhage.

(n) - (s) (No change.)

§601.3.Procedures Requiring No Disclosure of Specific Risks and Hazards--List B.

(a) - (l) (No change.)

(m) Nervous system.

[ (1) Cranioplasty.]

(1) [ (2) ] Lumbar puncture.

(2) [ (3) ] Closure of meningomyelocele.

(3) [ (4) ] Ventriculostomy with or without air ventriculogram.

(4) [ (5) ] Cisternal puncture (diagnostic).

[ (6) Craniectomy or craniotomy for intracranial hematoma, abscess or penetrating injury.]

(5) [ (7) ] Stereotactic surgery for dystonia.

(6) [ (8) ] Insertion of skeletal tongs.

(7) [ (9) ] Intravenous cut-down.

(8) [ (10) ] Elevation of depressed skull fracture.

(9) [ (11) ] Cervical 1-2 puncture (diagnostic).

(n) Radiology.

(1) - (32) (No change.)

[ (33) Pacemaker lead placement.]

(33) [ (34) ] Arthrography.

(34) [ (35) ] Percutaneous nephrostogram and/or internal stent [ stint ] or external drainage of the kidney.

(35) [ (36) ] Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiogram and/or internal stent [ stint ] or external drainage of the liver.

(36) [ (37) ] Percutaneous abscess drainage.

(o) - (p) (No change.)

§601.4.Disclosure and Consent Form.

(a) The Texas Medical Disclosure Panel adopts the following form which shall be used by a physician or health care provider to inform a patient or person authorized to consent for the patient of the possible risks and hazards involved in the medical treatments and surgical procedures named in the form. Except for the procedures shown in subsection (b) of this section, the following form shall be used for the medical treatments and surgical procedures described in §601.2 of this title (relating to Procedures Requiring Full Disclosure of Specific Risks and Hazards--List A). Providers shall have the form available in both English and Spanish language versions. Both versions are available from the Department of State Health Services.

[ Figure: 25 TAC §601.4(a) ]

(1) English form.

Figure: 25 TAC §601.4(a)(1)

(2) Spanish form.

Figure: 25 TAC §601.4(a)(2)

(b) (No change.)

§601.5.Disclosure and Consent Form for Radiation Therapy.

The Texas Medical Disclosure Panel adopts the following form to be used by a physician or health care provider to inform a patient or person authorized to consent for a patient of the possible risks and hazards involved in the radiation therapy named in the form. This form is to be used in lieu of the general disclosure and consent form adopted in §601.4(a) of this title (relating to Disclosure and Consent Form) for disclosure and consent relating to only radiation therapy procedures. If a surgical or anesthetic procedure is required in combination with a radiation therapy procedure, the general disclosure and consent form as adopted in §601.4(a) of this title and the form adopted in this section shall be used. The general disclosure and consent form shall be used for the surgical or anesthetic procedure and the radiation therapy disclosure and consent form shall be used for the radiation therapy procedure. Providers shall have the form available in both English and Spanish language versions. Both versions are available from the Department of State Health Services.

[ Figure: 25 TAC §601.5 ]

(1) English form.

Figure: 25 TAC §601.5(1)

(2) Spanish form.

Figure: 25 TAC §601.5(2)

§601.8.Disclosure and Consent Form for Hysterectomy.

The Texas Medical Disclosure Panel adopts the following form which shall be used to provide informed consent to a patient or person authorized to consent for the patient of the possible risks and hazards involved in the hysterectomy surgical procedure named in the form. This form is to be used in lieu of the general disclosure and consent form adopted in §601.4(a) of this title (relating to Disclosure and Consent Form) for disclosure and consent relating to only hysterectomy procedures. Providers are required to use the form to obtain consent for hysterectomies performed at least 90 days following publication of this adopted section in the Texas Register . Providers shall have the form available in both English and Spanish language versions . Both versions are available from the [ Texas ] Department of State Health Services.

(1) English form.

Figure: 25 TAC §601.8(1)

(2) Spanish form.

Figure: 25 TAC §601.8(2)

This agency hereby certifies that the proposal has been reviewed by legal counsel and found to be within the agency's legal authority to adopt.

Filed with the Office of the Secretary of State on April 11, 2005.

TRD-200501493

Melba W.G. Swafford, M.D.

Chairperson

Texas Medical Disclosure Panel

Earliest possible date of adoption: May 22, 2005

For further information, please call: (512) 458-7236