Counseling Consent Form For Minors – Every person should be able to make informed decisions about their health. Treatments for medical conditions can be invasive, so patients should be able to determine in light of known risks and the way their bodies will be treated. So, before medical professionals can be able to treat their patients, they must obtain the process of informed consent.
Informed consent is a legal requirement under which a patient has been given a complete and accurate description of his or her physical state and the recommended treatment by the acting physician. Once this information is received the patient has to offer the physician consent to treat prior to any form of care is administered. Without informed consent from the patient health care professional is not permitted to offer treatment.
Decision Making Capacity
In some instances patients lack the ability to comprehend the options for treatment and the risks/benefits of each one. In other instances, patients may not be able communicate their choices to health workers. Under these circumstances it is believed that the patient not to have adequate capacity for decision-making. The family member, or court-appointed representative, will then be permitted to provide informed consent instead.
Patients who are greatly influenced by their emotions such as anxiety or fear for instance can be deemed to not able to make decisions. People who are not conscious cannot take decisions on their own. Therefore, outside parties require consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Counseling Consent Form For Minors
There are certain elements that are generally included in informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical diagnosis/condition
The treatment suggested by the doctor in charge
The risks and advantages associated with this treatment
There are alternative treatments offered, as are their benefits and risks
The potential risks and rewards of refusing treatment whatsoever
These details must not only be recorded in the patient’s medical records However, they should also been discussed by the patient. This way, he or can be fully aware of the details of the situation and will receive immediate responses to any concerns that might have arisen.