Informed Consent Form Template – Everyone should be able to make educated decisions about their medical care. Medical treatments can be quite sensitive, so patients must be able to decide, based on known risks and the way their bodies will be treated. Thus, before medical personnel are permitted to administer treatments to patients, they must receive the process of informed consent.
A patient’s informed consent can be a legally binding requirement where a patient is informed of his or her physical health and the treatment suggested by the physician who is acting as the patient’s physician. Once this information is received, the patient must sign a consent form with the doctor to treat before any form of treatment can be offered. Without the patient’s informed consent, a health care provider cannot offer treatment.
Decision Making Capacity
In certain instances patients don’t have the capabilities to fully understand their treatment options and the benefits and risks associated with each. In other cases, patients may not be able communicate their decision to health care professionals. Under these circumstances it is believed that the patient to lack the necessary capacity to make decisions. An individual from the family or court-appointed representative will then be permitted to give informed consent in lieu of the patient.
Patients who are greatly influenced by their emotions – such as anxiety or fear, for instance they could be judged as not possessing decision making capacity. The patients who are unconscious can’t make decisions on independently, and other people need to consent to treatment instead.
Items in an Informed Consent Form Template
There are certain elements that are included on all informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical condition/diagnosis
The procedure recommended by the doctor in charge
The risks and benefits that come with this treatment
Alternative treatments that are offered, as are their benefits and risks
The risks and benefits associated with not accepting any treatment whatsoever
The items should 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 all the details of the scenario and will receive immediate responses to any queries that might be arising.
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