Medical Consent Form For Surgery – Every person should be able to make informed decisions regarding their medical care. Medical procedures can be invasive, so patients should be able to decide, based on known risks of their body, how it will be treated. Thus, before medical professionals can be able to treat their patients, they have to obtain what is known as informed consent.
A patient’s informed consent can be a legally binding condition in which patients are given a complete and accurate description of his or her physical state and the treatment recommended by the physician who is acting as the patient’s physician. Once this information is received, the patient must give the doctor their consent to treat before any form of treatment can be administered. Without the patient’s informed consent health care professional is not permitted to provide treatment.
Decision Making Capacity
In some instances patients don’t have the knowledge to fully comprehend their treatment options , as well as the risks/benefits associated with each one. In some instances patients may not be able convey their preferences to health care professionals. Under these circumstances, the patient is said to not possess adequate capacity to make decisions. An individual from the family or court-appointed representative will then be permitted to take over informed consent.
Patients who are heavily influenced by their emotions such as anxiety or fear, as an example can be deemed to not possessing decision making capacity. Those who are unconscious clearly are unable to make decisions on their independent of themselves, so outsiders need to consent to treatment instead.
Items in an Medical Consent Form For Surgery
Certain elements are commonly included in informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical condition or diagnosis
The treatment suggested by the medical professional in charge
The risks and benefits that come with this method of treatment
Alternative treatments are readily offered, as are their risks and benefits
The dangers and advantages with refusing treatment whatsoever
Not only must these items be recorded in the patient’s medical records however, they must be discussed with the patient. This way, he or can be fully aware of the details of the situation and will be able to get immediate answers to any issues that may have arisen.