Affirmative Consent Form – Everyone should be able to make informed choices about their healthcare. The medical procedures can be sensitive, so patients must be able to determine according to the known risks and the way their bodies will be treated. Thus, before medical personnel can operate on patients, they need to receive the process of informed consent.
Informed consent , a requirement in law is the condition where a patient is informed of his or her physical state as well as the treatment that is recommended by the physician in charge. After receiving this information, the patient must give the doctor their consent to treat before any form of treatment can be offered. Without the patient’s informed consent any health professional is not permitted to provide treatment.
Decision Making Capacity
In some cases the patients aren’t equipped with the knowledge to fully comprehend their treatment options and the potential risks and benefits associated with each one. In other cases patients may not be able to effectively communicate their decisions to the health workers. In such situations the patient is said to not possess adequate capacity to make decisions. If a family member is not present, or court appointed representative in this case, can perform informed consent instead.
Patients who are heavily influenced by their emotions – such as anxiety or fear, for instance can be deemed to not having the capacity for decision-making. The ones who are asleep clearly cannot make decisions on own, and outside parties have to give consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Affirmative Consent Form
There are certain elements that are generally included in informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical diagnosis/condition
The treatment that is recommended by the physician who is acting
The risks and the benefits associated with this treatment
Alternative treatments that are available, along with their risks and benefits
The dangers and advantages with refusing any treatment at all
These details must not only be documented in a written document however, they must discuss the situation with patients. This way, he can be fully aware of the details of the situation and get straight answers to any questions that may arise.
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