Activity Consent Form Template – Everyone should have the ability to make informed decisions regarding their medical care. Medical procedures can be injurious, and patients must be able, in the end, to decide according to the known risks of their body, how it will be treated. Thus, before medical personnel are permitted to administer treatments to patients, they must receive the so-called informed consent.
The informed consent requirement is legal condition under which a patient is informed of his or her physical health as well as the treatment that is recommended by the acting physician. Once this information is received the patient is required to give the doctor their consent to treat prior to any form of care is delivered. Without informed consent from the patient any health professional cannot provide treatment.
Decision Making Capacity
In certain instances the patients aren’t equipped with the skills to comprehend their treatment options and the risks/benefits of each. In other instances patients may not be able to effectively explain their decisions to health workers. Under these circumstances, the patient is said to lack the appropriate capacity to make decisions. A family member or court-appointed representative, could then be able to perform informed consent instead.
Patients who are greatly influenced by their emotions, like anxiety or fear, for instance are deemed not having the capacity to make decisions. Those who are unconscious clearly cannot make decisions on their alone, and external parties require consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Activity Consent Form Template
Certain elements are generally included in informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical condition or diagnosis
The recommended treatment is suggested by the doctor in charge
The benefits and risks associated with this treatment
Alternative treatments are available, as well as their risks and benefits
The risks and benefits associated of refusing treatment whatsoever
These details must not only be documented in a written document, but they must also communicated with the person receiving the treatment. This way, he or she will fully understand the details of the situation and can get direct answers to any queries that might have arisen.