Body Treatment Consent Form – Every person should be able to make educated decisions about their medical care. Medical procedures can be risky, therefore patients should be able to decide in light of known risks, how their bodies will be treated. Thus, before medical personnel can operate on patients, they need to receive what is known as informed consent.
A patient’s informed consent can be a legally binding requirement under which a patient is given a complete and accurate description of his or her physical state and the recommended treatment by the physician in charge. After receiving this information the patient must be able to give the physician their consent to treat prior to any form of treatment is provided. Without the patient’s informed consent health care professional cannot offer treatment.
Decision Making Capacity
In certain instances the patients aren’t equipped with the ability to comprehend their treatment options and the potential risks and benefits associated with each one. In other instances patients might not be able to effectively communicate their decisions to the health professionals. When this occurs the patient is considered to lack the appropriate capacity for decision-making. An individual from the family or court appointed representative can give informed consent in lieu of the patient.
Patients who are strongly affected by their emotions, such as anxiety or fear, for example are deemed not having the capacity to make decisions. People who are not conscious cannot make decisions on their own, and outside parties have to give consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Body Treatment Consent Form
There are certain elements that are included on all informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical diagnosis/condition
The procedure recommended by the doctor in charge
The risks and the benefits associated with this treatment
There are alternative treatments offered, as are their potential risks and benefits
The risks and benefits that come of refusing treatment at all
Not only should these details be detailed in documentation However, they should also communicated with the person receiving the treatment. In this way, he or is able to fully comprehend the particulars of the case and get straight answers to any concerns that might arise.