In keeping with the Health Care Consent Act, 1996, and the Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004 , as health practitioners, Registered Dietitians have a legal and professional responsibility to obtain informed consent for nutrition treatment and knowledgeable consent for collecting, using and disclosing personal health or other confidential information. This professional obligation is also articulated in the College’s Professional Misconduct Regulation.
The fundamental principles and laws about consent are all based on respect for a client's right to make informed decisions about their health care and personal health information.
Obtaining consent is iterative; it’s a process that may involve one or more health practitioners in one or more conversations with the client or their substitute decision-maker at different times as the client’s care progresses. True informed or knowledgeable consent is at the heart of client-centred care.
Refer to our Consent Professional Practice Resources for more information.