Alberta Abstract Consent Form – Everybody should be able to make informed choices about their healthcare. The medical procedures can be injurious, and patients must be able decide from the facts about risks, how their bodies will be treated. In order to ensure that medical professionals are allowed to operate on patients, they must obtain what is known as informed consent.
Informed consent constitutes a lawful condition under which a patient is informed of his or her physical state and the treatment recommended by the doctor in charge. Once this information is received, the patient must provide the physician with consent to treat before any form of treatment can be provided. Without the patient’s informed consent, a health care provider is not allowed to provide treatments.
Decision Making Capacity
In some instances the patients aren’t equipped with the capabilities to fully understand their treatment options , as well as the risks/benefits associated with each one. In other situations patients may not be able to convey their preferences to health workers. Under these circumstances it is believed that the patient not to possess the proper decision making capacity. The family member, or court appointed representative could then be able to perform informed consent instead.
Patients who are greatly influenced by their emotions – anxiety or fear, as an example – may be determined as not possessing decision making capacity. Patients who are in the state of unconscious cannot take decisions on their independently, and other people require consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Alberta Abstract Consent Form
Certain elements are common to all consent forms:
The patient’s medical diagnosis/condition
The recommended treatment is suggested by the medical professional in charge
The risks and benefits that come with this procedure
Alternative treatments are readily available, as well as their benefits and risks
The risks and benefits associated with not accepting any treatment whatsoever
The items should not only be documented in a written document But they also need to have a discussion with the patient. In this way, he or she will fully understand the details of the situation and will receive immediate responses to any issues that may have arisen.