What informed consent means day to day
The Physiotherapy Board of Australia's code of conduct expects informed consent before you assess or treat. In plain terms, the patient should understand:
- what you are going to do, including any hands-on assessment;
- why, and what else they could choose instead;
- the common and the serious risks;
- what it is likely to cost;
- that they can ask questions, and stop at any time.
Talk it through, then record it. A signed form does not replace the conversation, but it shows the conversation took place, and it keeps the date on file.
The forms most clinics need
- Consent to assessment and treatment. The everyday form for a new patient: that you will ask about their health, assess how they move and may need to touch the area being assessed.
- Dry needling consent and screening. Screening questions for the things that change whether needling is safe (bleeding disorders and blood thinners, pregnancy, fainting with needles, conditions that affect healing, metal allergy, pacemakers, implants or lymphoedema), then what needling is, its common effects and its rare risks. It follows the Australian Physiotherapy Association's guidelines for safe acupuncture and dry needling practice.
- Telehealth consent. What can and cannot be assessed by video, and a phone number in case the call drops. More in our guide to telehealth physiotherapy.
- Parent or guardian consent for a child. Who the child is, who may bring them, and the parent's consent. Older teenagers may be able to consent for themselves; your judgement and your professional obligations decide that, not the form.
- Photo and video consent. Separate from treatment consent, and specific about use: the clinical record only, or teaching, or your website and social media.
- Informed financial consent. Your fees, the likely number of visits and total, and how rebates and payment work, before the treatment starts.
Two more are policies rather than consent, and they save arguments later: an appointment and cancellation policy, which pairs well with our guide to late cancellations, and a before your home visit form for mobile physios.
Keep consent where you can find it
A consent form in a drawer is a consent form nobody can find when it matters. Send forms with the booking so patients fill them in at home and sign on their phone, and the signed copy lands on their file. Our guide to patient intake forms and the portal explains how. Consent and personal information belong together, so read patient privacy and security as well.
Using the templates in Clinidiary
Open Settings, then Resources library, and press Add to my practice on each form you want. It becomes one of your forms, with signature on, ready to change: add your logo, your fees, your own cancellation window. Then send it with bookings, or hand the iPad over at the front desk.
Frequently asked questions
Do physiotherapists need written consent?
Consent must be informed, and a written record is the clearest evidence of it. Many clinics take written consent at the first visit and record verbal consent in the notes for later changes in treatment.
Does dry needling need its own consent form?
It is good practice. Dry needling has its own risks and its own screening questions, and the Australian Physiotherapy Association's guidelines expect them to be covered.
Can a teenager consent to physiotherapy?
Sometimes. Whether a young person can consent for themselves depends on their maturity and understanding. Use the parent or guardian form for children, and your own judgement for older teenagers.
Are these consent form templates free?
Yes. Read them on our resources page, or add them to Clinidiary in one click.