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As part of UVA Health’s ongoing efforts to streamline workflows and enhance patient care, we’re expanding the use of electronic consents (e-consents) across our system. UVA Health University Medical Center and UVA Physicians Group (UPG) have already migrated to e-consents, and UVA Community Health will begin on Feb. 24 at UVA Health Culpeper Medical Center and Culpeper area Medical Group clinics. UVA Health Haymarket and Prince William Medical Centers and Northern Market Medical Group clinics will begin on March 10. 

Continue reading to learn what’s changing and when, and how you can prepare.  

What Is an E-Consent?  

An e-consent is a digital version of a patient consent form, completed directly within Epic. Instead of filling out paper forms, providers use dropdown menus and required fields to capture all essential information. Details like the procedure name, treatment team, and date are automatically populated, reducing errors and saving time.  

Required fields help ensure every e-consent meets UVA Health’s documentation standards for accuracy, completeness, and compliance.  

What’s Changing?  

• The vast majority of paper consents are going digital in Epic.  
• New access points to consents in Epic:  
  • Doctors and advanced practice providers (APPs) treating hospitalized and ED patients: Look for the “Consents” button in the Navigator activity.  
  • Doctors and APPs seeing patients in the ambulatory setting: Access consents through your regular workflow or the “More” button.  
• Key areas transitioning to e-consents:  
  • Anesthesia  
  • ICU  
  • Dialysis   
  • Autopsy   
  • Surgical Procedure with or without Anesthesia/Sedation  
  • Blood Products: Combined Procedural Consent with Blood, Blood Transfusion, and Blood Refusal/Partial Acceptance. 
• Interpreter documentation: Interpreters will no longer sign consents. Instead, their name and/or ID number will be required.  
• Formatting updates to improve clarity and consistency. 
• Providers will be required to sign e-consents for blood transfusions. This change was planned independently of the e-consent project but timed to coincide with the go-live for ease of transition.  

What’s Not Changing?  

• Who is listed on the consent (except for blood consents) 
• Which actions require patient consent  
• Involvement of learners in the consent process  

Signature Collection:  

There are several options available to collect patient signatures on e-consents:  

• iPads: iPads will be used.  
• Click-to-Sign: Patients can sign with a single click directly on a computer using a mouse or touchpad.  
• MyChart: Patients can log into their MyChart account to review and sign e-consent forms. They will receive a notification when a form is ready to sign.  
• QR Code: After completing the e-consent, providers can generate a QR code from the form. Patients can scan the code with their phone or mobile device to sign electronically — no MyChart account is needed for this method.  

Team members should use the signature collection options available in their department, as access may vary.  

E-Consents Timeline:   

The transition has already been completed at University Medical Center and UPG ambulatory clinics. UVA Community Health will begin transitioning Feb. 24 beginning at UVA Health Culpeper Medical Center and UVA Community Health Medical Group ambulatory clinics in Culpeper.  

UVA Health Haymarket and Prince William Medical Centers and North Market UVA Community Health Medical Group clinics will follow March 10.  

How to Prepare for E-Consents:  

All providers, nurses, and periop team members:  

• Familiarize yourself with new e-consents:   
  • Procedural Consent  
  • Combined Procedural Consent with Blood   
  • Blood Transfusion  
  • Blood Refusal/Partial Acceptance  
  • Anesthesia  
  • ICU  
  • Dialysis  
  • Autopsy
  • Surgical Procedure with or without Anesthesia/Sedation.  
• Review the ELL tip sheet on the new blood consents.  
• Complete a seven-minute learning module in Oracle by Feb. 24.

This transition to e-consents marks a significant step forward in improving the accuracy, efficiency, and consistency of our consent process — ultimately enhancing the patient experience. Thank you for supporting our journey toward safer, more efficient patient care.

For answers to frequently asked questions, continue reading below.

E-Consents Frequently Asked Questions 

When will we switch to the e-consent process?  

Culpeper Medical Center and Culpeper area UVA Community Health Medical Group ambulatory clinics are planned to go-live on Feb. 24. UVA Health Haymarket and Prince William Medical Centers and UVA Community Health Medical Group clinics in the Northern Market will go live on March 10.  

What training and go-live support will be available?  

There are different training resources for providers and nursing/clinical staff. All are available on the E-Consent – Epic Learning Library. 

For Providers  

• A computer-based learning module can be found here: E-Consent CBL.  It is highly encouraged to complete this module.  
• Tip Sheets:  
  • Obtaining a Procedural E-Consent – Epic Learning Library  
  • Creating Macros within Procedural E-Consents – Epic Learning Library  
• Trainers will be on site for at-the-elbow support, and a Zoom meeting will be set up for virtual support for the first few days of the go-live in each region.  

For Nurses and Clinical Support Staff  

• Review the Clinical Support resources on the ELL E-Consent Training Portal. 
• Nurses and clinical support team members will receive an invitation to the CBL in Oracle. 

Trainers will be on site for at-the-elbow support, and a Zoom meeting will be set up for virtual support for the first few days of the go-live in each region.  

What types of consent forms will be required to be signed electronically?  

Only consent forms for specific treatments and procedures are included in the e-consent workflow at this time. The general consent for treatment and other non-clinical consent forms will still be signed on paper. Specific e-consent forms include:  

• Anesthesia  
• Autopsy  
• Blood Transfusion/Partial Acceptance/Refusal  
• Dialysis  
• ICU  
• Procedural with a case request
• Procedural consent with blood (combination of procedural and blood transfusion consents)
• Surgical/Procedural without a case request, with or without anesthesia/sedation

What are the expectations of providers when obtaining an e-consent?

A provider must always have the conversation with the patient to discuss the indications, risks, benefits, and alternatives of the procedure or treatment being planned. An attending physician is always ultimately responsible for the consent provided to the patient before the provision of care.   

Providers must sign all consent forms. This includes blood transfusion consents.  

For UVA Community Health employed providers in the ambulatory setting and all medical staff obtaining consent within acute care (ED/hospital) encounters, the provider should complete the consent form and obtain the patient’s signature directly whenever possible. If assistance is needed while consenting an admitted patient, the provider can fill out and sign the consent form, then save it. As long as the provider has discussed the procedure/treatment with the patient, the provider can then ask the patient’s nurse to obtain the patient’s signature.  
  
Which consents can be signed by an APP?  

A physician may delegate obtaining consent to an APP only for procedures within the scope of the APP’s clinical practice and approved privileges and for which the APP (a) is informed and knowledgeable about the treatment plan or procedure; (b) can fully address each of the required elements of informed consent; and (c) can answer any of the patient’s questions. All of these criteria must be satisfied for an APP to obtain consent.    
  
What are the different ways patients can sign the consent form?  

Patients can sign one of three ways:  

• Directly with a simple mouse click (similar to other e-signature platforms like DocuSign) on the workstation being used to complete the consent form in Epic.  
• On MyChart.  
• Using a QR code to link to a website where the full text of the consent can be read and signed. No MyChart account is required for this option.  

The link to the website can also be sent directly from Epic via email or text.  

iPads are being acquired for use in acute care areas and UVA Health ambulatory clinics to use for patients without access to a personal mobile device who cannot sign on a workstation due to physical limitation.  

A tip sheet on capturing signatures on MyChart or mobile devices can be found here: Obtaining E-Consent Signatures using MyChart or Mobile Devices – Epic Learning Library.

When can an E-consent for a scheduled procedure be completed?

Consents for procedures are valid for 180 days from the date they are signed. For planned procedures, the consent can be signed any time during that validity window after the provider has the consent conversation with the patient.  If the consent form cannot be signed by both the provider and patient at the time when the provider has the consent conversation, the provider can sign and save the form for the patient to sign later.

Will previously completed consents still be valid after we switch to e-consents?  

Yes, any paper consent form completed prior to our e-consent go-live that has not expired can still be used. Providers will not have to do a new e-consent in this scenario.  

Can I still use a paper consent form if needed?

The expectation is that e-consents should be used except in the case of Epic downtime or true technical barrier. Use of paper consent forms will be monitored beginning 30 days after our go-live. Physicians who regularly continue to use paper consent forms will be contacted to address any difficulties with utilizing e-consents. After support is provided, continued use of paper consent forms outside of downtimes or technical barriers may result in referral to the Peer Review Committee for corrective action.