Consent Request Form – Everyone should be able to make educated decisions about their health. The medical procedures can be risky, therefore patients should be able to ultimately determine in light of known risks of their body, how it will be treated. Thus, before medical personnel are permitted to be able to treat their patients, they need to receive what is known as informed consent.
Informed consent is a legal requirement under which a patient has been provided with a full and complete description of his or her physical state and the treatment suggested by the physician in charge. Once this information is received the patient must offer the physician consent to treat before any form of treatment can be delivered. Without the patient’s informed consent health care professional is not allowed to provide treatment.
Decision Making Capacity
In some cases patients lack the skills to comprehend their treatment options and the risks/benefits associated with each. In other circumstances patients may not be able to effectively communicate their decision to health professionals. In such situations the patient is said to lack the necessary capacity for decision-making. Family members or a court appointed representative can perform informed consent instead.
Patients who are influenced by their emotions, such as anxiety or fear for instance – may be determined as not possessing decision making capacity. Patients who are in the state of unconscious can’t make decisions on own, and outside parties need to consent to treatment instead.
Items in an Consent Request Form
There are certain elements that are included on all informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical condition/diagnosis
The procedure recommended by the acting physician
The risks and advantages associated with this procedure
Alternative treatments are readily offered, as are their risks and benefits
The risks and benefits that come with accepting no treatment whatsoever
Not only should these details be documented in a written document They must also be discussed with the patient. This way, he or can be fully aware of all the details of the scenario and can get direct answers to any issues that may be arising.