Department Of Health Consent Form – Everyone should be able to make informed choices about their healthcare. Medical treatments can be injurious, and patients must be able to decide from the facts about risks of their body, how it will be treated. In order to ensure that medical professionals are permitted to be able to treat their patients, they have to obtain what is known as informed consent.
Informed consent is a legal requirement under which a patient is given a complete and accurate description of his or her physical state as well as the treatment that is recommended by the physician who is acting as the patient’s physician. Once this information is received, the patient must sign a consent form with the doctor to treat prior to any form of treatment can be provided. Without informed consent from the patient the health professional is not permitted to offer treatment.
Decision Making Capacity
In certain instances, patients do not possess the capacity to comprehend their treatment options and the potential risks and benefits associated with each. In other instances, patients may not be able communicate their decisions to the health workers. In such situations the patient is considered to not possess adequate capacity to make decisions. If a family member is not present, or court-appointed representative, could then be able to give informed consent in lieu of the patient.
Patients that are strongly influenced by their emotions – such as anxiety or fear, for example can be deemed to not having the capacity for decision-making. The patients who are unconscious cannot make decisions on own. Therefore, outside parties need to consent to treatment instead.
Items in an Department Of Health Consent Form
There are certain elements that are commonly included in informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical diagnosis/condition
The procedure recommended by the acting physician
The risks and the benefits associated with this procedure
There are alternative treatments available, along with their risks and benefits
The risks and benefits associated with refusing treatment whatsoever
The items should not only be documented However, they should also be discussed with the patient. This way, he can fully comprehend all the details of the scenario and get straight answers to any questions that may be arising.