Acknowledgement And Consent Form – Everyone should be able to make informed decisions about their medical care. Medical treatments can be quite sensitive, so patients must be able to ultimately determine the risks that are known to be present that their bodies should be treated. Therefore, before medical workers can be able to treat their patients, they must receive the process of informed consent.
Informed consent is a legal condition in which patients are informed of his or her physical state and the treatment recommended by the doctor in charge. After receiving this information the patient must sign a consent form with the doctor to treat prior to any form of care can be offered. Without the patient’s informed consent any health professional is not permitted to offer treatment.
Decision Making Capacity
In some instances patients may not have the ability to comprehend the options for treatment and the risks/benefits of each one. In other cases, patients may not be able communicate their decision to health care professionals. If this happens patients are said to not possess adequate decision making capacity. The family member, or court appointed representative could then be able to give informed consent in lieu of the patient.
Patients that are strongly influenced by their emotions, like anxiety or fear, as an example – may be determined as lacking the ability to make decisions. Those who are unconscious clearly can’t make decisions on own. Therefore, outside parties require consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Acknowledgement And Consent Form
Certain elements are universally included in informed consent forms:
The diagnosis or medical condition of the patient.
The treatment recommended by the physician in charge
The risks and the benefits associated with this treatment
Alternative treatments are also offered, as are their potential risks and benefits
The dangers and advantages with accepting no treatment whatsoever
Not only must these items be recorded in the patient’s medical records However, they should also be discussed with the patient. So, he she will fully understand what is happening and will be able to get immediate answers to any issues that may be arising.