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Program

Communication, Consent & Open Disclosure

Communication is the second most common concern raised in notifications nationally. This program covers difficult conversations, consent, and the open disclosure conversation after something goes wrong.

  • Addresses the second most common notification concern
  • Covers open disclosure and how to apologise safely
  • Includes consent as a process, not a signature
  • Practical techniques, not communication theory
Choose your profession See the course outline

Version 2.0  ·  Last reviewed 9 September 2026  ·  Written for Australian practice

The problem

What this program is actually for

Most communication complaints are not about rudeness. They are about a patient who did not understand what was decided, a risk that was mentioned but not landed, or an adverse outcome where the explanation came late and sounded defensive. Delay and vagueness after an event generate more complaints than the event itself, and a defensive first response converts a dissatisfied patient into a notification more reliably than anything clinical.

What changes by the end: You will be able to run a difficult conversation without escalating it, check understanding rather than assuming it, deliver an open disclosure conversation promptly and factually, and respond to a complaint in a way that de-escalates.

Ten to twelve hours of learning depending on your profession.

Signs this is the right program

  • The concern is about your manner, attitude or communication
  • A patient says they were not told something you believe you explained
  • An adverse outcome occurred and the conversation afterwards did not go well
  • A complaint escalated after your first response to it
Step one

Select your profession

Each version contains the courses written for that National Board's standards.

DoctorsMBANurses and midwivesNMBADental practitionersDBAPharmacistsPBAAllied health professionalsBoard
If a notification has been made about you, contact your indemnity insurer first. This is education. It supports your own reflection and gives you a dated record of learning completed. It does not satisfy, discharge or resolve any regulatory requirement, condition or undertaking, and no course can guarantee an outcome.

Communication, Consent & Open Disclosure for doctors

Written with reference to Medical Board of Australia
6 courses  ·  12 hours

Choose this if

The concern relates to communication, attitude, or how an adverse event was handled.

Who it is for

Doctors facing a concern about consultation communication, attitude or manner, informed consent discussion, or how an adverse outcome was disclosed to the patient and family.

Why this program

  • Opens with Ethics and Ethical Standards for Doctors, the core ethics course written to Good Medical Practice.
  • Communication is the second most common concern raised in notifications nationally.
  • Delay and vagueness after an adverse event generate more complaints than the event itself.
  • Covers difficult conversations, material risk and the safety-netting that stops a concern escalating.
  • Includes dignity and cultural safety, which sit inside a large share of communication complaints.

Program outline

  1. 01Ethics and Ethical Standards for Doctors2 hrs
  2. 02Ensuring Effective Communication as Healthcare Professionals2 hrs
  3. 03Open Disclosure in Healthcare Practice2 hrs
  4. 04Ensuring Dignity and Non-Discrimination as Healthcare Professionals2 hrs
  5. 05Module on Insight2 hrs
  6. 06Module on Remediation2 hrs

Total: 6 courses  ·  approx. 12 hours of learning

A$594One payment. All 6 courses unlocked.
Enrol — doctors

Communication, Consent & Open Disclosure for nurses and midwives

Written with reference to Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia
7 courses  ·  14 hours

Choose this if

The concern relates to communication, handover, delegation or team conduct.

Who it is for

Nurses and midwives facing a concern about clinical handover, delegating to an EN or AIN, communication with a patient or family, or conduct toward colleagues including allegations of bullying.

Why this program

  • Opens with Ethics and Ethical Standards for Nurses and Midwives, the core ethics course written to the NMBA codes of conduct for nurses and for midwives.
  • Nursing sits at the centre of shared care, so handover and delegation failures surface as nursing concerns.
  • Covers delegation and supervision: what can be delegated, to whom, and who retains accountability.
  • Includes open disclosure and the conversation with a family after an adverse event.
  • Addresses conduct toward colleagues, a growing category of notification.

Program outline

  1. 01Ethics and Ethical Standards for Nurses and Midwives2 hrs
  2. 02Ensuring Teamwork and Collaboration for Healthcare Professionals2 hrs
  3. 03Ensuring Effective Communication as Healthcare Professionals2 hrs
  4. 04Open Disclosure in Healthcare Practice2 hrs
  5. 05Ensuring Dignity and Non-Discrimination as Healthcare Professionals2 hrs
  6. 06Module on Insight2 hrs
  7. 07Module on Remediation2 hrs

Total: 7 courses  ·  approx. 14 hours of learning

A$693One payment. All 7 courses unlocked.
Enrol — nurses and midwives

Communication, Consent & Open Disclosure for dental practitioners

Written with reference to Dental Board of Australia
6 courses  ·  12 hours

Choose this if

The concern relates to informed consent, cost disclosure, or how a complaint was handled.

Who it is for

Dental practitioners facing a concern about informed financial consent, a treatment plan that changed mid-course, communication of material risk, or a defensively handled complaint.

Why this program

  • Opens with Ethics and Ethical Standards for Dentists and Dental Professionals, the core ethics course written to the Dental Board code of conduct.
  • Informed financial consent is a distinctive and frequent source of dental complaints.
  • Covers consent as a process, including re-consent when a treatment plan changes during a course of care.
  • Includes open disclosure when an outcome is not what the patient expected.
  • Addresses complaint handling, since a defensive first response escalates more matters than the original issue.

Program outline

  1. 01Ethics and Ethical Standards for Dentists and Dental Professionals2 hrs
  2. 02Ensuring Effective Communication as Healthcare Professionals2 hrs
  3. 03Open Disclosure in Healthcare Practice2 hrs
  4. 04Ensuring Dignity and Non-Discrimination as Healthcare Professionals2 hrs
  5. 05Module on Insight2 hrs
  6. 06Module on Remediation2 hrs

Total: 6 courses  ·  approx. 12 hours of learning

A$594One payment. All 6 courses unlocked.
Enrol — dental practitioners

Communication, Consent & Open Disclosure for pharmacists

Written with reference to Pharmacy Board of Australia
7 courses  ·  14 hours

Choose this if

The concern relates to counselling, privacy at the counter, or a complaint.

Who it is for

Pharmacists facing a concern about counselling adequacy, a privacy breach at the counter or in a conversation overheard, disclosure of a dispensing error, or a customer complaint about manner.

Why this program

  • Opens with Ethics and Ethical Standards for Pharmacists, the core ethics course written to the Pharmacy Board code of conduct.
  • Pharmacy is the only setting where confidential clinical conversations routinely happen in a retail space.
  • Covers counselling quality and the privacy failures that come from an open counter and a queue.
  • Includes disclosing a dispensing error to both the patient and the prescriber, promptly and factually.
  • Addresses respect and cultural safety in a high-volume environment.

Program outline

  1. 01Ethics and Ethical Standards for Pharmacists2 hrs
  2. 02Ensuring Confidentiality in Healthcare Practice2 hrs
  3. 03Ensuring Effective Communication as Healthcare Professionals2 hrs
  4. 04Open Disclosure in Healthcare Practice2 hrs
  5. 05Ensuring Dignity and Non-Discrimination as Healthcare Professionals2 hrs
  6. 06Module on Insight2 hrs
  7. 07Module on Remediation2 hrs

Total: 7 courses  ·  approx. 14 hours of learning

A$693One payment. All 7 courses unlocked.
Enrol — pharmacists

Communication, Consent & Open Disclosure for allied health professionals

Written with reference to your National Board or professional association
7 courses  ·  14 hours

Choose this if

The concern relates to consent, communication, or working with a client's other providers.

Who it is for

Allied health professionals facing a concern about informed consent to an ongoing plan, communication with a client or family, handover and shared care with medical or nursing colleagues, or supported decision-making.

Why this program

  • Opens with Ethics and Ethical Standards for Allied Health and Care Professionals, the core ethics course written to your profession's code of conduct.
  • Allied health care is usually a course of treatment rather than an episode, so consent must be revisited, not obtained once.
  • Covers supported decision-making with clients who have cognitive or communication disability.
  • Includes shared care communication, where allied health input is often the part that does not reach the treating team.
  • Addresses dignity and cultural safety in long-term care relationships.

Program outline

  1. 01Ethics and Ethical Standards for Allied Health and Care Professionals2 hrs
  2. 02Ensuring Effective Communication as Healthcare Professionals2 hrs
  3. 03Ensuring Teamwork and Collaboration for Healthcare Professionals2 hrs
  4. 04Open Disclosure in Healthcare Practice2 hrs
  5. 05Ensuring Dignity and Non-Discrimination as Healthcare Professionals2 hrs
  6. 06Module on Insight2 hrs
  7. 07Module on Remediation2 hrs

Total: 7 courses  ·  approx. 14 hours of learning

A$693One payment. All 7 courses unlocked.
Enrol — allied health professionals
Not sure this is the right program? Send us the concern category named in your letter and we will tell you which program matches it, or tell you that none of them do. Contact us.
How it works

From enrolment to a documented record

One payment. Every course in the program unlocks in your account immediately.

01

Enrol once

Choose your profession and pay a single price. No subscription.

02

All courses unlock

Every course in the program appears in your account straight away, in any order you like.

03

Work through it

Self-paced on any device, with Australian scenarios rather than generic theory.

04

Complete the assessment

Fifteen questions per course, 80% to pass, unlimited attempts with feedback.

05

Keep the evidence

A dated certificate per course plus a structured reflection and action plan you download.

✓Certificate per course: your name, course title, version, completion date, nominal duration and assessment outcome.
✓Reflection and action plan you complete and download as a separate document.
✓Permanent course record in your account, re-downloadable at any time.
✓Provider details for verification, and a stated last-reviewed date on the content.
CPD reference

How these hours sit against each Board's requirement

No National Board pre-approves individual courses. You record the time you actually spend against your own requirement and keep the evidence.

ProfessionRegulatorIts CPD requirement
DoctorsMedical Board of Australia50 hours of CPD each year, through an AMC-accredited CPD home
Nurses and midwivesNursing and Midwifery Board of Australia20 hours of CPD each registration year, relevant to your context of practice
Dental practitionersDental Board of Australia60 hours of CPD over each three-year cycle, with a scientific/non-scientific split
PharmacistsPharmacy Board of Australia40 CPD credits each registration year, weighted by activity group
Allied health professionalsyour National Board or professional associationThere is no single allied health CPD requirement

Two things worth knowing before you buy on hours

  • Dental practitioners: ethics and professionalism generally falls in the non-scientific category, capped at 12 hours per three-year cycle.
  • Pharmacists: the Board counts credits, not hours, weighted by activity group and self-assessed by you. Do not read hours as credits.
Author & medical reviewer

Who writes and reviews this program

Dr Richard, course author and medical reviewer
Dr Richard
Course author and medical reviewer
MBBSFRACGPPG Cert Healthcare Law & EthicsLLM (Healthcare Law & Ethics), University of Melbourne

Dr Richard is a practising clinician with over 21 years of experience and postgraduate training in healthcare law and ethics. He writes the course content, selects the case material, and reviews every regulatory statement against the primary source before publication.

Regulatory content is reviewed at least annually, and sooner when a National Board publishes a new or amended standard. Corrections are logged in the course update history.

Last reviewed 9 September 2026  ·  Next review September 2027  ·  Full profile  ·  Editorial policy
What practitioners say

Feedback on this program

Published by profession and state only. We do not publish names.

★★★★★

The open disclosure module is the part I wish I had done two years earlier.

General practitioner, VIC
★★★★★

The informed financial consent content was the most useful part for my practice.

Dental practitioner, QLD
★★★★★

Handover and family conversations. Both directly applicable.

Registered nurse, WA

Feedback is submitted voluntarily after completion and published without identifying details, because practitioners undertaking this education are frequently doing so in connection with a confidential matter.

Answers

Questions about this program

Does apologising admit liability?
The program covers open disclosure and how an apology functions in the Australian context. It is educational content, not legal advice. Take advice from your indemnity insurer about your specific matter.
Is this soft-skills training?
No. It is built around the specific communication failures that appear in notification data: consent comprehension, material risk, delayed disclosure and defensive complaint handling.
Does it cover informed financial consent?
Yes, and it is emphasised for dental practitioners, where cost disputes are a frequent source of complaints.
Can reception and admin staff do it?
The courses are open to anyone, though the content is written for registered practitioners.
Other programs

If this is not the right fit

Compare all seven side by side on the programs overview.

Notification & Investigation ResponseInsight, Reflection & RemediationClinical Competence & Patient SafetyProfessional Boundaries & ConductProbity & Professional IntegrityEthics & Professionalism Complete Program

Or browse everything for your profession

DoctorsNurses and midwivesDental practitionersPharmacistsAllied health professionals
Primary sources

Read the regulators directly

Their sites are the authority. Where anything here differs from a current published standard, the published standard governs.

Medical Board of Australia

CPD standard and codes. Opens in a new tab.

Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia

CPD standard and codes. Opens in a new tab.

Dental Board of Australia

CPD standard and codes. Opens in a new tab.

Pharmacy Board of Australia

CPD standard and codes. Opens in a new tab.

your National Board or professional association

CPD standard and codes. Opens in a new tab.

Ahpra — notifications: what to expect

The official explanation of the process. Opens in a new tab.

Communication, Consent & Open Disclosure

Choose your profession, enrol once, and every course in the program unlocks immediately.

Choose your profession Ask which program fits

Ahpra Courses is an independent education provider. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or accredited by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra), any National Board, or any accreditation authority. Our courses are educational activities. They are not accredited CPD and they do not guarantee that any hours or credits will be accepted against your registration requirement. Nothing here is legal advice, and nothing here resolves, satisfies or affects any notification, investigation, condition or undertaking. Always read the current standards published by your National Board, and contact your indemnity insurer about any regulatory matter concerning you. Last reviewed 9 September 2026.