Liability Consent Form – Everybody should be able to make informed decisions about their medical care. The medical procedures can be risky, therefore patients should be able to ultimately determine according to the known risks and the way their bodies will be treated. Thus, before medical personnel are permitted to provide treatment to patients they must be given what is known as informed consent.
The informed consent requirement is legal requirement in which patients are informed of his or her physical health and the treatment suggested by the physician in charge. After receiving this information the patient has to sign a consent form with the doctor to treat before any form of care is provided. Without informed consent from the patient health care professional is not allowed to provide treatments.
Decision Making Capacity
In some instances, patients do not possess the capabilities to fully understand their treatment options , as well as the risks/benefits of each one. In other situations patients might not be able explain their decisions to health workers. In such situations the patient is said not to have adequate capacity for decision-making. A family member or court appointed representative in this case, can take over informed consent.
Patients that are strongly influenced by their emotions, such as anxiety or fear for instance could be classified as not able to make decisions. Those who are unconscious clearly can’t make decisions on independently, and other people must provide consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Liability Consent Form
Certain elements are included on all informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical condition/diagnosis
The treatment that is recommended by the physician who is acting
The benefits and risks associated with this method of treatment
Alternative treatments are offered, as are their benefits and risks
The potential risks and rewards with not accepting any treatment at all
The items should not only be recorded in the patient’s medical records But they also need to communicated with the person receiving the treatment. This way, he or can fully comprehend what is happening and will be able to get immediate answers to any concerns that might be arising.