Blood Draw Consent Form – Every person should be able to make informed choices about their health. Medical treatments can be injurious, and patients must be able, in the end, to decide the risks that are known to be present of their body, how it will be treated. So, before medical professionals are permitted to operate on patients, they must receive what is known as informed consent.
A patient’s informed consent can be a legally binding condition that requires that a patient be informed of his or her physical state 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 is required to sign a consent form with the doctor to treat before any form of treatment can be provided. Without the patient’s informed consent the health professional is not allowed to provide treatment.
Decision Making Capacity
In some cases, patients do not possess the capabilities to fully understand the options for treatment and the risks/benefits of each one. In other cases, patients may not be able to convey their preferences to health workers. In such situations the patient is said not to have adequate decision making capacity. The family member, or court-appointed representative, then, is allowed to provide informed consent instead.
Patients who are heavily influenced by their emotions – anxiety or fear, as an example – may be determined as not having the capacity for decision-making. The patients who are unconscious cannot take decisions on their alone, and external parties must provide consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Blood Draw Consent Form
There are certain elements that are commonly included in informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical condition or diagnosis
The procedure recommended by the medical professional in charge
The risks and advantages associated with this method of treatment
There are alternative treatments available, along with their risks and benefits
The risks and benefits associated with not accepting any treatment at all
Not only must these items be recorded in the documentation however, they must communicated with the person receiving the treatment. This way, he can fully comprehend the details of the situation and can get direct answers to any concerns that might have arisen.