Lumbar Puncture Consent Form – Everybody should be able to make informed choices about their health. Medical procedures can be demanding, and therefore patients should be able to ultimately determine from the facts about risks that their bodies should be treated. In order to ensure that medical professionals are permitted to treat patients, they must receive the so-called informed consent.
The informed consent requirement is legal requirement under which a patient is informed of his or her physical health as well as the treatment that is recommended by the acting physician. After receiving this information, the patient must offer the physician consent to treat prior to any form of care can be administered. Without informed consent from the patient the health professional is not permitted to offer treatment.
Decision Making Capacity
In some cases patients lack the knowledge to fully comprehend their options in terms of treatment and the risks and benefits that come with each. In other instances patients may not be able convey their preferences to health care professionals. Under these circumstances, the patient is said to lack the appropriate capacity to make decisions. A family member or court appointed representative could then be able to provide informed consent instead.
Patients who are strongly affected by their emotions – anxiety or fear, for example could be classified as lacking the ability to make decisions. The patients who are unconscious cannot make decisions on own. Therefore, outside parties must provide consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Lumbar Puncture Consent Form
There are certain elements that are common to all consent forms:
The patient’s medical diagnosis/condition
The treatment recommended by the acting physician
The risks and benefits associated with this procedure
Alternative treatments are available, as well as their benefits and risks
The risks and benefits that come with accepting no treatment whatsoever
The items should not only be detailed in documentation, but they must also communicated with the person receiving the treatment. This way, he can be fully aware of all the details of the scenario and can get direct answers to any questions that be arising.
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