Chemotherapy Consent Form – Everybody should be able to make educated decisions about their health. Treatments for medical conditions can be risky, therefore patients should be able to ultimately determine from the facts about risks and the way their bodies will be treated. In order to ensure that medical professionals are permitted to treat patients, they have to obtain the process of informed consent.
A patient’s informed consent can be a legally binding condition in which patients are informed of his or her physical condition and the recommended treatment by the physician who is acting as the patient’s physician. After receiving this information, the patient must offer the physician consent to treat before any form of care can be offered. Without the patient’s informed consent any health professional cannot offer treatments.
Decision Making Capacity
In some cases patients may not have the ability to comprehend the options for treatment and the risks/benefits associated with each one. In other situations patients may not be able to communicate their decision to health care professionals. Under these circumstances the patient is said not to have adequate capacity to make decisions. If a family member is not present, or court-appointed representative, then, is allowed to give informed consent in lieu of the patient.
Patients who are heavily influenced by their emotions, like anxiety or fear for instance – may be determined as not having the capacity to make decisions. Those who are unconscious clearly cannot make decisions on alone, and external parties must provide consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Chemotherapy Consent Form
There are certain elements that are common to all consent forms:
The patient’s medical conditions/diagnosis
The recommended treatment is suggested by the physician in charge
The risks and benefits that come with this method of treatment
Alternative treatments are readily available, along with their risks and benefits
The benefits and risks associated with accepting no treatment whatsoever
Not only must these items be documented in a written document They must also discuss the situation with patients. So, he will be able to comprehend what is happening and get straight answers to any questions that may be arising.