Counselling Consent Form – Everyone should be able to make informed choices about their health. Medical treatments can be sensitive, so patients must be able to determine, based on known risks and the way their bodies will be treated. Therefore, before medical workers can operate on patients, they need to receive the process of informed consent.
Informed consent , a requirement in law is the condition where a patient is given a complete and accurate description of his or her physical state and the treatment suggested by the physician in charge. Once this information is received, the patient must sign a consent form with the doctor to treat prior to any form of care can be administered. Without informed consent from the patient the health professional cannot offer treatments.
Decision Making Capacity
In some cases the patients aren’t equipped with the capabilities to fully understand the options for treatment and the risks and benefits that come with each. In other circumstances patients might not be able to communicate their choices to health workers. Under these circumstances the patient is said not to have adequate capacity to make decisions. The family member, or court-appointed representative in this case, can perform informed consent instead.
Patients who are heavily influenced by their emotions – anxiety or fear, as an example are deemed lacking the ability to make decisions. Patients who are in the state of unconscious cannot take decisions on their independently, and other people require consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Counselling Consent Form
Certain elements are generally included in informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical condition/diagnosis
The recommended treatment is suggested by the physician in charge
The benefits and risks associated with this procedure
Alternative treatments that are offered, as are their risks and benefits
The risks and benefits that come of refusing treatment at all
The items should not only be detailed in documentation however, they must communicated with the person receiving the treatment. So, he can be fully aware of all the details of the scenario and can get direct answers to any queries that might arise.
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