Section 110. Practitioner-client communication; termination of relationship

A. Communication with clients.

1. Except as provided in § 32.1-127.1:03 F of the Code of Virginia, a practitioner shall accurately inform a client or the client's legally authorized representative of the client's assessment and prescribed plan of care. A practitioner shall not deliberately make a false or misleading statement regarding the practitioner's skill or the efficacy or value of a treatment or procedure directed by the practitioner.

2. A practitioner shall present information relating to the client's care to a client or the client's legally authorized representative in understandable terms and encourage participation in the decisions regarding the client's care.

3. Before any invasive procedure is performed, informed consent shall be obtained from the client. Practitioners shall inform clients of the risks, benefits, and alternatives of the recommended procedure that a reasonably prudent licensed midwife practicing in Virginia would tell a client. In the instance of a minor or a client who is incapable of making an informed decision on the client's own behalf or is incapable of communicating such a decision due to a physical or mental disorder, the legally authorized person available to give consent shall be informed and the consent documented.

B. Termination of the practitioner/client relationship.

1. The practitioner or the client may terminate the relationship. In either case, the practitioner shall make a copy of the client record available, except in situations where denial of access is allowed by law.

2. Except as provided in § 54.1-2962.2 of the Code of Virginia, a practitioner shall not terminate the relationship or make services unavailable without documented notice to the client that allows for a reasonable time to obtain the services of another practitioner.

Historical Notes

Derived from Volume 23, Issue 10, eff. February 21, 2007.

Statutory Authority

§§ 54.1-2400 and 54.1-2957.9 of the Code of Virginia.