Abortion Consent Form Planned Parenthood – Every person should be able to make informed choices about their healthcare. The medical procedures can be invasive, so patients should be able to decide from the facts about risks, how their bodies will be treated. Thus, before medical professionals can provide treatment to patients they must be given what is known as informed consent.
Informed consent is a legal requirement under which a patient is provided with specific information regarding his or her physical condition as well as the treatment that is recommended by the treating physician. Once this information is received patients must sign a consent form with the doctor to treat prior to any form of treatment can be delivered. Without informed consent from the patient an health care professional cannot offer treatments.
Decision Making Capacity
In some instances the patients aren’t equipped with the skills to comprehend the options for treatment and the risks/benefits associated with each. In some instances, patients may not be able convey their preferences to health professionals. In these situations, the patient is said to not possess adequate capacity for decision-making. If a family member is not present, or court-appointed representative then, is allowed to provide informed consent instead.
Patients who are influenced by their emotions, like anxiety or fear, for instance can be deemed to not having the capacity to make decisions. Those who are unconscious clearly cannot make decisions on independent of themselves, so outsiders have to give consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Abortion Consent Form Planned Parenthood
There are certain elements that are universally included in informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical diagnosis/condition
The treatment recommended by the medical professional in charge
The risks and the benefits associated with this procedure
Alternative treatments are also available, along with their risks and benefits
The risks and benefits that come of refusing treatment at all
Not only should these details be documented in a written document however, they must communicated with the person receiving the treatment. This way, he or is able to fully comprehend the details of the situation and can get direct answers to any concerns that might have arisen.