Consent Form For Dermatologic Procedures – Every person should be able to make educated decisions about their healthcare. Medical treatments can be quite sensitive, so patients must be able to determine in light of known risks of their body, how it will be treated. Thus, before medical professionals can be able to treat their patients, they must be given the so-called informed consent.
Informed consent is a legal requirement that requires that a patient be provided with detailed information about his or her physical condition and the treatment suggested by the treating physician. After receiving this information the patient has to offer the physician consent to treat before any form of treatment can be offered. Without informed consent from the patient an health care professional cannot provide treatments.
Decision Making Capacity
In certain situations the patients aren’t equipped with the ability to comprehend their treatment options and the risks/benefits associated with each one. In other situations patients may not be able to effectively convey their preferences to health workers. When this occurs it is believed that the patient to lack the appropriate capacity for decision-making. An individual from the family or court appointed representative in this case, can take over informed consent.
Patients who are influenced by their emotions such as anxiety or fear for instance could be classified as not having the capacity to make decisions. Those who are unconscious clearly can’t make decisions on own, and outside parties require consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Consent Form For Dermatologic Procedures
There are certain elements that are included on all informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical condition/diagnosis
The treatment that is recommended by the acting physician
The risks and benefits associated with this method of treatment
There are alternative treatments offered, as are their benefits and risks
The potential risks and rewards with refusing treatment whatsoever
These items must not only be documented in a written document, but they must also been discussed by the patient. This way, he is able to fully comprehend all the details of the scenario and will be able to get immediate answers to any questions that have arisen.