Consent Forms For Research – Everyone should be able to make informed decisions regarding their health. Medical treatments can be risky, therefore patients should be able, in the end, to decide, based on known risks, how their bodies will be treated. Thus, before medical professionals are allowed to be able to treat their patients, they must be given what is known as informed consent.
Informed consent , a requirement in law is the condition where a patient is provided with detailed information about his or her physical condition and the treatment recommended by the physician who is acting as the patient’s physician. Once this information is received the patient is required to give the doctor their consent to treat before any form of treatment is offered. Without the patient’s informed consent health care professional cannot offer treatments.
Decision Making Capacity
In some cases, patients do not possess the capacity to comprehend their options regarding treatment, and the potential risks and benefits associated with each. In some instances patients might not be able communicate their choices to health workers. When this occurs the patient is said not to possess the proper decision making capacity. An individual from the family or court-appointed representative, then, is allowed to make informed consent on behalf of the patient.
Patients who are heavily influenced by their emotions, such as anxiety or fear, for instance could be classified as not having the capacity for decision-making. The patients who are unconscious cannot make decisions on their independently, and other people must provide consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Consent Forms For Research
There are certain elements that are commonly included in informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical condition or diagnosis
The treatment that is recommended by the physician in charge
The risks and benefits associated with this treatment
Alternative treatments are readily offered, as are their potential risks and benefits
The risks and benefits associated with refusing treatment whatsoever
These items must not only be recorded in the patient’s medical records however, they must communicated with the person receiving the treatment. In this way, he or can fully comprehend what is happening and can get direct answers to any questions that may be arising.