The Florida Society of Ophthalmology seeks to better protect ophthalmologists and our patients throughout the informed consent process, particularly in the area of cataract surgery. Because Florida law currently fails to describe the recognized risks of cataract surgery, a substantial number of "recognized risks" associated with cataract surgery continue to be improperly reported to regulators as "Code 15" adverse incidents. This over reporting unnecessarily exposes our doctors to extensive and time-consuming disciplinary proceedings before the Board of Medicine and to medical malpractice litigation.

Moreover, the lack of clarity in the law has contributed, in our opinion, to a climate of uncertainty regarding exactly which risks should be disclosed to patients. Ophthalmologists and our patients are at the forefront of this issue, because cataract surgery remains the most commonly performed surgical procedure in the United States. We believe that a potential solution to this problem is the creation of a standardized informed consent document, approved by the Board of Medicine. This approach has been used for many years in Texas and has contributed to improved medicolegal conditions in that state.

To achieve this end, a task force from the FSO and from Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, led by Dr. Carol Karp, has drafted standardized informed consent language for cataract surgery. We believe that this document facilitates preoperative communication, improves patient care, and offers you, the practicing ophthalmologist, better protection against unwarranted "Code 15" enforcements and other actions. This document is now available to FSO members for use in their practices on our website.

To access the form, click here.