Allergy Testing Consent Form – Everyone should be able to make educated decisions about their medical care. Medical treatments can be quite injurious, and patients must be able decide from the facts about risks and the way their bodies will be treated. Thus, before medical professionals are allowed to be able to treat their patients, they have to obtain what is known as informed consent.
Informed consent is a legal condition where a patient is informed of his or her physical state and the recommended treatment by the acting physician. After receiving this information, the patient must be able to give the physician their consent to treat before any form of care is provided. Without the patient’s informed consent any health professional is not permitted to offer treatments.
Decision Making Capacity
In some instances, patients do not possess the capabilities to fully understand their options regarding treatment, and the risks/benefits associated with each one. In other circumstances patients might not be able convey their preferences to health care professionals. Under these circumstances the patient is said to lack the necessary decision making capacity. If a family member is not present, or court-appointed representative will then be permitted to take over informed consent.
Patients who are heavily influenced by their emotions, such as anxiety or fear, as an example they could be judged as not having the capacity to make decisions. Patients who are in the state of unconscious cannot make decisions on their own. Therefore, outside parties must provide consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Allergy Testing Consent Form
Certain elements are universally included in informed consent forms:
The diagnosis or medical condition of the patient.
The treatment that is recommended by the physician in charge
The risks and benefits associated with this treatment
Alternative treatments are also available, along with their potential risks and benefits
The potential risks and rewards with accepting no treatment whatsoever
These items must not only be documented however, they must been discussed by the patient. So, he will be able to comprehend what is happening and will receive immediate responses to any queries that might have arisen.