Sample Informed Consent Form – Everyone should have the ability to make educated decisions about their health. Medical procedures can be sensitive, so patients must be able, in the end, to decide in light of known risks that their bodies should be treated. So, before medical professionals are allowed to be able to treat their patients, they need to receive the so-called informed consent.
A patient’s informed consent can be a legally binding requirement where a patient is given a complete and accurate description of the physical condition and the treatment suggested by the physician who is acting as the patient’s physician. After receiving this information, the patient must provide the physician with consent to treat before any form of treatment can be given. Without the patient’s informed consent an health care professional cannot provide treatment.
Decision Making Capacity
In some instances patients lack the capacity to comprehend their options regarding treatment, and the benefits and risks associated with each. In other situations, patients may not be able communicate their decisions to the health care professionals. If this happens patients are said not to possess the proper capacity to make decisions. If a family member is not present, or court-appointed representative can give informed consent in lieu of the patient.
Patients that are strongly influenced by their emotions, like anxiety or fear for instance they could be judged as lacking the ability to make decisions. The patients who are unconscious are unable to make decisions on their independently, and other people need to consent to treatment instead.
Items in an Sample Informed Consent Form
Certain elements are commonly included in informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical conditions/diagnosis
The procedure recommended by the physician in charge
The risks and the benefits associated with this method of treatment
Alternative treatments are also available, along with their benefits and risks
The potential risks and rewards with not accepting any treatment at all
These details must not only be recorded in the patient’s medical records They must also been discussed by the patient. In this way, he or can be fully aware of the particulars of the case and will be able to get immediate answers to any queries that might have arisen.
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