Basic Consent Form – Everyone should be able to make educated decisions about their healthcare. The medical procedures can be demanding, and therefore patients should be able to decide in light of known risks, how their bodies will be treated. Thus, before medical professionals are permitted to treat patients, they must obtain the so-called informed consent.
A patient’s informed consent can be a legally binding requirement under which a patient is informed of his or her physical state and the treatment recommended by the physician who is acting as the patient’s physician. Once this information is received the patient is required to provide the physician with consent to treat prior to any form or treatment can be delivered. Without informed consent from the patient the health professional cannot provide treatment.
Decision Making Capacity
In certain instances patients don’t have the ability to comprehend their options in terms of treatment and the risks and benefits that come with each. In other instances patients may not be able to convey their preferences to health professionals. If this happens the patient is said to not possess adequate capacity for decision-making. A family member or court-appointed representative will then be permitted to provide informed consent instead.
Patients that are strongly influenced by their emotions, such as anxiety or fear, for instance are deemed not having the capacity for decision-making. The ones who are asleep clearly cannot take decisions on their independently, and other people have to give consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Basic Consent Form
Certain elements are common to all consent forms:
The diagnosis or medical condition of the patient.
The procedure recommended by the physician who is acting
The risks and advantages associated with this treatment
Alternative treatments are available, along with their risks and benefits
The risks and benefits that come with refusing treatment whatsoever
These details must not only be recorded in the patient’s medical records But they also need to be discussed with the patient. So, he can fully comprehend all the details of the scenario and will receive immediate responses to any questions that arise.