The Society of Radiographers has published the RAD-CHECK patient consent flowchart, a new step-by-step poster designed to help diagnostic radiographers manage consent and capacity in relation to dementia care.
Funded by the College of Radiographers Industry Partnership Scheme (CoRIPS), the RAD-CHECK flowchart is a translation of the 2005 Mental Capacity Act. It was developed as part of a research article published in Radiography, the peer-reviewed journal of the SoR and the European Federation of Radiographer Societies.
The chart presents usable actions for everyday radiography practice and helps Diagnostic Radiographers make decisions on consent in a lawful and ethical manner.
What does the flowchart do?
A series of questions are outlined in the flowchart. It begins by asking radiographers whether the person in question is capable of consenting. Radiographers are then guided to the appropriate next steps depending on their response.
RAD-CHECK is an acronym which stands for:
- Retain and understand information
- Assess capacity to consent
- Delay if necessary
- Consider support options
- Have legal authority?
- Evaluate best interests
- Confirm with referrer
- Know when not to proceed
Developed by a research team spanning the University of Cumbria, the University of Salford and Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust, RAD-CHECK aims to inform current education and policy in dementia care and improve the transfer of knowledge into clinical scenarios.
“Capacity to consent is a legal and ethical consideration when undertaking medical imaging on those people living with dementia,” the introduction to the Radiography published article reads. “Previous research has not provided enough insight into establishing capacity to consent and how to proceed with imaging when capacity is lacking, to properly inform practice or policy."
“This study aims to explore diagnostic radiographers’ experiences and understandings of gaining valid informed consent during general radiography examinations for persons living with dementia.”
Key steps to improve consent assessment
The poster is designed to have four main outcomes:
- Turns legislation into practical clinical steps
- Encourages patient‑centred, lawful imaging
- Reduces variability and defensive practice
- Improves confidence and ethical consistency
The research team looks forward to exploring and evaluating the implementation of RAD‑CHECK in clinical practice; feedback can be shared via this survey: here.
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