Child Consent Form Template – Everyone should have the ability to make informed decisions about their medical care. Medical procedures can be risky, therefore patients should be able decide according to the known risks and the way their bodies will be treated. Thus, before medical personnel are allowed to operate on patients, they must be given the so-called informed consent.
Informed consent is a legal condition where a patient is provided with specific information regarding his or her physical health and the treatment recommended by the acting physician. After receiving this information the patient is required to offer the physician consent to treat prior to any form of treatment can be administered. Without informed consent from the patient an health care professional cannot provide treatment.
Decision Making Capacity
In some instances, patients do not possess the capacity to comprehend their options in terms of treatment and the benefits and risks associated with each. In other instances patients may not be able to effectively communicate their choices to health care professionals. When this occurs patients are said to lack the necessary decision making capacity. The family member, or court-appointed representative will then be permitted to make informed consent on behalf of the patient.
Patients that are strongly influenced by their emotions – anxiety or fear, as an example – may be determined as not possessing decision making capacity. People who are not conscious cannot make decisions on own, and outside parties must provide consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Child Consent Form Template
Certain elements are universally included in informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical diagnosis/condition
The treatment suggested by the doctor in charge
The risks and advantages associated with this procedure
Alternative treatments are offered, as are their potential risks and benefits
The risks and benefits that come with refusing treatment at all
These details must not only be recorded in the patient’s medical records They must also communicated with the person receiving the treatment. This way, he or can be fully aware of the details of the situation and will receive immediate responses to any concerns that might have arisen.