Consent And Assent Forms – Every person should be able to make educated decisions about their medical care. Medical treatments can be risky, therefore patients should be able decide according to the known risks that their bodies should be treated. Thus, before medical professionals are allowed to operate on patients, they must be given the so-called informed consent.
A patient’s informed consent can be a legally binding condition under which a patient is provided with a full and complete description of his or her physical health and the recommended treatment by the treating physician. After receiving this information the patient has to give the doctor their consent to treat prior to any form of care can be provided. Without the patient’s informed consent the health professional cannot offer treatments.
Decision Making Capacity
In certain situations patients lack the ability to comprehend their options regarding treatment, and the risks/benefits associated with each one. In other instances patients may not be able to communicate their decision to health professionals. When this occurs the patient is considered not to have adequate decision making capacity. Family members or a court appointed representative then, is allowed to provide informed consent instead.
Patients who are strongly affected by their emotions, such as anxiety or fear, as an example – may be determined as not having the capacity to make decisions. People who are not conscious cannot take decisions on their independently, and other people have to give consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Consent And Assent Forms
There are certain elements that are commonly included in informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical condition or diagnosis
The treatment suggested by the physician who is acting
The risks and advantages associated with this method of treatment
There are alternative treatments offered, as are their potential risks and benefits
The dangers and advantages with accepting no treatment at all
These details must not only be documented however, they must discuss the situation with patients. In this way, he or can fully comprehend the specifics of the situation and will be able to get immediate answers to any concerns that might have arisen.
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