Consent Form 1 – Everybody should be able to make educated decisions about their medical care. Medical procedures can be risky, therefore patients should be able decide in light of known risks of their body, how it will be treated. So, before medical professionals are permitted to operate on patients, they need to receive the so-called informed consent.
A patient’s informed consent can be a legally binding requirement under which a patient has been informed of the condition of their body and the recommended treatment by the physician who is acting as the patient’s physician. After receiving this information patients must offer the physician consent to treat before any form of treatment is administered. Without the patient’s informed consent health care professional cannot provide treatments.
Decision Making Capacity
In some cases patients don’t have the skills to comprehend their treatment options and the potential risks and benefits associated with each one. In other instances, patients may not be able to convey their preferences to health workers. If this happens the patient is said to lack the appropriate capacity for decision-making. Family members or a court-appointed representative in this case, can take over informed consent.
Patients that are strongly influenced by their emotions such as anxiety or fear, as an example they could be judged as not having the capacity for decision-making. People who are not conscious are unable to make decisions on their independent of themselves, so outsiders must provide consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Consent Form 1
Certain elements are generally included in informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical condition/diagnosis
The treatment suggested by the acting physician
The risks and the benefits associated with this method of treatment
Alternative treatments are also available, as well as their potential risks and benefits
The benefits and risks associated with refusing treatment whatsoever
The items should not only be documented However, they should also have a discussion with the patient. This way, he can fully comprehend all the details of the scenario and can get direct answers to any concerns that might have arisen.