CHS56 Provide clinical information to individuals

Overview

This standard covers the provision of clinical information by practitioners to individuals. A practitioner should be able to provide information and identify sources of information about individuals conditions, symptoms and treatments. The information should be provided using a variety of methods and in ways that is most likely to help the individual to understand it. Users of this standard will need to ensure that practice reflects up to date information and policies. Version No 1

Knowledge and Understanding

You will need to know and understand:

The relationships between individuals and their carers, and how much they might want their involvement
The requirements and needs of carers, and how they could respond to changes in the condition of individuals
The type of information that is most useful to carers, and their right to access it
The role and responsibilities of different groups of carers, and the services and assistance to which they should be entitled
The difficulties with communication that can arise as a result of specific conditions, and how this changes according to fluctuations of symptoms
The role of carers and others in facilitating communication
Relevant legislation and the parts relating to the care of individuals, including the role of practitioners and clinical practice, human rights, data protection, and health and safety
The principles of informed consent, including implied consent and expressed consent, and how these are applied in practice to protect individuals
The ethics and responsibilities of practitioners, including professional codes of conduct and guidelines
The requirements and needs of individuals, and the resources and services that are available to help them
Confidentiality and privacy issues relating to individuals
Individuals’ rights to information, and what is likely to be most useful to them during the different phases of their condition
The ways of presenting information, including statistical, factual, and anecdotal information
The roles and responsibilities of individuals for managing their own condition
The changes that occur at different stages of the conditions relevant to your area of practice
The practitioners that are available to individuals, and how to obtain help from them
When to review the management of the condition
The aetiology, course, and progression of the condition
The possible causes of the condition, including genetic or environmental factors
The anatomy and physiology relevant to the condition
The symptoms, complications, and outcomes of the condition
The short, medium, and long term effects of the condition on individuals and their carers
The interventions for the condition
The current issues and research
Information sources for practitioners, individuals, and carers
The type of information that individuals might require during the different phases of their condition
The ways of presenting information, including statistical, factual, and anecdotal information
The support that individuals will require when being provided with different types of information

Performance Criteria

You must be able to do the following:

respect the individual’s rights and wishes relating to their privacy, beliefs, and dignity, and obtain informed consent whenever appropriate
provide support to the individual, and the carers they specify, when providing clinical information
enable the individual to express their requirements for information, and explain clearly the type of information that can be provided
discuss the amount, type and sources of information which the individual has accessed
identify relevant sources of information that the individual can access to increase their understanding of their condition and to make informed choices
identify other practitioners who are able to provide support and clinical information if necessary or requested by the individual
establish the amount of clinical information that the individual is likely to be able to deal with at any one time
provide information that is relevant to the individual’s needs, and be sure it is as accurate as possible within the context of what is known about their condition
provide sufficient time for the individual to reflect on what has been said and if necessary repeat it
provide opportunities for the individual to clarify any clinical information and enable them to ask questions
answer any questions raised by the individual, and refer any questions that cannot be answered to the appropriate sources of information
keep accurate, legible, and complete records, and comply with all the relevant legal, professional, and organisational requirements and guidelines

Additional Information

This National Occupational Standard was developed by Skills for Health. This standard links with the following dimension within the NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework (October 2004): Dimension: Core 1 Communication This standard has replaced LTCN3 and HCS_MAX9