Clinic Consent Form – Everybody should be able to make informed decisions regarding their medical care. The medical procedures can be demanding, and therefore patients should be able, in the end, to decide from the facts about risks and the way their bodies will be treated. In order to ensure that medical professionals are allowed to be able to treat their patients, they must receive what is known as informed consent.
The informed consent requirement is legal requirement under which a patient has been given a complete and accurate description of his or her physical health and the treatment recommended by the acting physician. After receiving this information the patient has to provide the physician with consent to treat before any form of treatment is given. Without informed consent from the patient any health professional cannot provide treatment.
Decision Making Capacity
In certain instances patients don’t have the capacity to comprehend their options in terms of treatment and the risks and benefits that come with each. In other circumstances patients might not be able to communicate their choices to health care professionals. If this happens, the patient is said not to have adequate decision making capacity. If a family member is not present, or court-appointed representative in this case, can perform informed consent instead.
Patients who are influenced by their emotions – anxiety or fear, for instance they could be judged as lacking the ability to make decisions. The ones who are asleep clearly cannot take decisions on their independent of themselves, so outsiders require consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Clinic Consent Form
Certain elements are common to all consent forms:
The patient’s medical conditions/diagnosis
The treatment recommended by the doctor in charge
The risks and advantages associated with this procedure
Alternative treatments are also available, along with their potential risks and benefits
The dangers and advantages with accepting no treatment at all
Not only must these items be documented in a written document, but they must also communicated with the person receiving the treatment. In this way, he or is able to fully comprehend the details of the situation and receive direct responses to any concerns that might be arising.