Patient Consent Flowchart
The RAD‑CHECK flowchart is a practical, step‑by‑step decision‑making aid to help diagnostic radiographers lawfully and ethically manage consent and capacity assessment when imaging people where capacity may be lacking.
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The RAD‑CHECK flowchart is a practical, step‑by‑step decision‑making aid developed from our study to help diagnostic radiographers lawfully and ethically manage consent and capacity assessment when imaging people where capacity may be lacking. It translates the Mental Capacity Act (2005) into usable actions for everyday radiography practice.
The evidence-based flowchart (RAD-CHECK) can be used support radiographers through the steps required to assess capacity, gain informed-consent or make a best-interest decision for people where capacity may be lacking.
RAD‑CHECK:
- Turns legislation into practical clinical steps
- Encourages patient‑centred, lawful imaging
- Reduces variability and defensive practice
- Improves confidence and ethical consistency
RAD-CHECK is designed to provide clear and accessible guidance which can be used in the moment and in department when decisions related to capacity and consent seeking are made. It is hoped this tool can be used to inform current education and policy related to dementia care – improving transferability of knowledge into clinical scenarios.
The research team looks forward to exploring and evaluating the implementation of RAD‑CHECK in clinical practice.
Link to the study where it was developed: Exploring diagnostic radiographers’ experiences and understandings of informed consent and capacity assessment during general radiography imaging examinations of persons living with dementia: A qualitative interview study of UK practice - Radiography
Funding: This work was funded by the College of Radiographers Industry Partnership Scheme (CoRIPS) [grant number 250, 2025] - CB cl CoRIPS 250 A Spacey.