General Parent Consent Form – Everyone should be able to make informed decisions about their health. Medical treatments can be invasive, so patients should be able to ultimately determine from the facts about risks as well as their own personal preferences, how they will be treated. Thus, before medical personnel are permitted to operate on patients, they must obtain what is known as informed consent.
Informed consent is a legal condition where a patient is provided with specific information regarding the physical condition and the recommended treatment by the physician in charge. Once this information is received, the patient must be able to give the physician their consent to treat before any form of treatment can be given. Without informed consent from the patient the health professional cannot provide treatments.
Decision Making Capacity
In certain instances patients don’t have the knowledge to fully comprehend their treatment options and the risks/benefits associated with each. In other situations patients might not be able to effectively communicate their decisions to the health workers. If this happens the patient is considered to not possess adequate capacity for decision-making. A family member or court-appointed representative then, is allowed to give informed consent in lieu of the patient.
Patients who are heavily influenced by their emotions, such as anxiety or fear, for instance they could be judged as not having the capacity for decision-making. Patients who are in the state of unconscious are unable to make decisions on their own, and outside parties must provide consent for treatment instead.
Items in an General Parent Consent Form
Certain elements are universally included in informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical conditions/diagnosis
The treatment recommended by the doctor in charge
The risks and benefits that come with this method of treatment
There are alternative treatments available, along with their risks and benefits
The risks and benefits that come with accepting no treatment at all
These items must not only be recorded in the patient’s medical records however, they must discuss the situation with patients. This way, he is able to fully comprehend all the details of the scenario and receive direct responses to any concerns that might be arising.
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