Color Consent Form – Every person should be able to make educated decisions about their medical care. Treatments for medical conditions can be demanding, and therefore patients should be able to decide from the facts about risks, how their bodies will be treated. Thus, before medical personnel are permitted to treat patients, they must be given what is known as informed consent.
Informed consent is a legal condition under which a patient is provided with specific information regarding his or her physical state and the treatment recommended by the doctor in charge. Once this information is received patients must be able to give the physician their consent to treat before any form or treatment can be offered. Without informed consent from the patient the health professional cannot offer treatments.
Decision Making Capacity
In certain situations patients don’t have the skills to comprehend their options regarding treatment, and the risks/benefits associated with each. In other instances patients may not be able to communicate their decisions to the health care professionals. If this happens patients are said to lack the necessary capacity for decision-making. An individual from the family or court-appointed representative, in this case, can give informed consent in lieu of the patient.
Patients who are greatly influenced by their emotions – anxiety or fear, for example they could be judged as lacking the ability to make decisions. The ones who are asleep clearly cannot make decisions on their independently, and other people need to consent to treatment instead.
Items in an Color Consent Form
Certain elements are common to all consent forms:
The patient’s medical conditions/diagnosis
The treatment suggested by the medical professional in charge
The risks and benefits that come with this procedure
Alternative treatments are readily available, along with their risks and benefits
The benefits and risks associated with refusing any treatment whatsoever
The items should not only be documented in a written document However, they should also be discussed with the patient. In this way, he or is able to fully comprehend all the details of the scenario and get straight answers to any questions that be arising.