Patient Email Communication Consent Form – Everyone should have the ability to make educated decisions about their healthcare. Medical treatments can be invasive, so patients should be able to decide, based on known risks as well as their own personal preferences, how they will be treated. Therefore, before medical workers can administer treatments to patients, they must be given the process of informed consent.
Informed consent constitutes a lawful requirement that requires that a patient be provided with a full and complete description of the condition of their body as well as the treatment that is recommended by the physician who is acting as the patient’s physician. After receiving this information the patient has to provide the physician with consent to treat before any form of care is given. Without informed consent from the patient the health professional is not allowed to provide treatments.
Decision Making Capacity
In some cases patients don’t have the capabilities to fully understand their options regarding treatment, and the risks and benefits that come with each one. In other circumstances, patients may not be able to communicate their decisions to the health care professionals. If this happens the patient is said to not possess adequate decision making capacity. If a family member is not present, or court-appointed representative can take over informed consent.
Patients who are heavily influenced by their emotions, like anxiety or fear, as an example are deemed lacking the ability to make decisions. The ones who are asleep clearly are unable to make decisions on their own, and outside parties need to consent to treatment instead.
Items in an Patient Email Communication Consent Form
There are certain elements that are commonly included in informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical diagnosis/condition
The treatment suggested by the physician who is acting
The risks and advantages associated with this treatment
Alternative treatments are readily offered, as are their benefits and risks
The risks and benefits that come with accepting no treatment whatsoever
The items should not only be documented in a written document however, they must been discussed by the patient. In this way, he or is able to fully comprehend the specifics of the situation and can get direct answers to any queries that might be arising.