RCR Position Statement on radiotherapy consent forms and e-consent
The Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) publishes national standard, site-specific radiotherapy consent forms for use across the UK. These forms are developed and updated through a rigorous national programme involving clinical experts and patient and public representatives.
The RCR does not currently endorse ANY commercial e-consent platform for the delivery of radiotherapy consent forms.
The RCR is not currently aware of any commercial e-consent platform that can faithfully reproduce and maintain the integrity of radiotherapy consent forms fully aligned with those published and updated by the RCR. There is some evidence showing that with certain commercial e-consent forms, critical details of the e-consent are not transcribed when the signed e-consent is transferred to the patient’s electronic patient record.
Organisations should not assume that forms within an e-consent platform are identical to, endorsed by, or equivalent to RCR radiotherapy consent forms simply because they are described as mirroring, aligning with, being mapped to, or being based on them.
The RCR can only provide assurance in relation to the radiotherapy consent forms published on its own website.
Organisations implementing commercial e-consent solutions should undertake a comprehensive local risk assessment and maintain robust arrangements for review of content accuracy, e-consent transfer to EPR, e-consent updates, version control and governance. The RCR cannot approve or validate electronic versions developed by external providers; responsibility for assuring their accuracy rests with the organisation using them.
The RCR recognises that e-consent is an important issue for radiotherapy services and continues to explore how its radiotherapy consent forms can be safely and effectively supported electronically while maintaining their accuracy, consistency and quality.
The RCR remains committed to supporting safe, high-quality and patient-centred consent processes across the UK.