Physical Consent Form – Everyone should have the ability to make informed decisions about their healthcare. The medical procedures can be risky, therefore patients should be able, in the end, to decide according to the known risks that their bodies should be treated. Thus, before medical professionals can provide treatment to patients they have to obtain what is known as informed consent.
The informed consent requirement is legal condition under which a patient has been provided with a full and complete description of the physical condition 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 is required to be able to give the physician their consent to treat prior to any form of treatment is offered. Without the patient’s informed consent health care professional is not permitted to offer treatments.
Decision Making Capacity
In certain situations, patients do not possess the ability to comprehend their options regarding treatment, and the risks and benefits that come with each. In other instances patients may not be able to effectively communicate their choices to health professionals. In such situations it is believed that the patient to not possess adequate capacity for decision-making. An individual from the family or court-appointed representative then, is allowed to give informed consent in lieu of the patient.
Patients who are greatly influenced by their emotions such as anxiety or fear for instance could be classified as not having the capacity to make decisions. The patients who are unconscious are unable to make decisions on their own, and outside parties have to give consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Physical Consent Form
Certain elements are common to all consent forms:
The patient’s medical condition/diagnosis
The treatment recommended by the physician in charge
The risks and advantages associated with this method of treatment
There are alternative treatments available, as well as their risks and benefits
The benefits and risks associated with refusing any treatment at all
These items must not only be documented in a written document, but they must also be discussed with the patient. In this way, he or will be able to comprehend the specifics of the situation and will receive immediate responses to any questions that may arise.
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