Psychotropic Medication Consent Form – Everybody should be able to make informed choices about their medical care. Medical procedures can be injurious, and 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 treat patients, they have to obtain the process of informed consent.
Informed consent , a requirement in law is the condition in which patients are provided with detailed information about his or her physical health 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 must give the doctor their consent to treat before any form of treatment can be delivered. Without the patient’s informed consent any health professional cannot provide treatment.
Decision Making Capacity
In some cases, patients do not possess the skills to comprehend their options regarding treatment, and the risks/benefits of each. In other situations patients may not be able communicate their choices to health workers. Under these circumstances it is believed that the patient not to have adequate capacity for decision-making. Family members or a court-appointed representative, will then be permitted to take over informed consent.
Patients who are influenced by their emotions, like anxiety or fear, as an example can be deemed to not having the capacity to make decisions. The patients who are unconscious cannot make decisions on independent of themselves, so outsiders require consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Psychotropic Medication Consent Form
There are certain elements that are commonly included in informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical condition or diagnosis
The treatment suggested by the acting physician
The risks and advantages associated with this method of treatment
There are alternative treatments offered, as are their risks and benefits
The potential risks and rewards with not accepting any treatment whatsoever
These details must not only be documented They must also be discussed with the patient. So, he can fully comprehend the specifics of the situation and can get direct answers to any questions that may arise.