Counselling Informed Consent Form Canada – Everyone should have the ability to make educated decisions about their medical care. The medical procedures can be sensitive, so patients must be able to decide, based on known risks as well as their own personal preferences, how they will be treated. Thus, before medical professionals can administer treatments to patients, they must obtain what is known as informed consent.
A patient’s informed consent can be a legally binding requirement in which patients are given a complete and accurate description of his or her physical health and the treatment recommended by the physician who is acting as the patient’s physician. After receiving this information, the patient must be able to give the physician their consent to treat prior to any form of care is offered. Without the patient’s informed consent any health professional is not permitted to offer treatments.
Decision Making Capacity
In certain instances the patients aren’t equipped with the knowledge to fully comprehend their treatment options and the risks/benefits associated with each one. In other instances, patients may not be able to explain their decisions to health professionals. Under these circumstances it is believed that the patient to lack the appropriate decision making capacity. A family member or court appointed representative could then be able to make informed consent on behalf of the patient.
Patients who are greatly influenced by their emotions, like anxiety or fear, for instance they could be judged as not having the capacity to make decisions. People who are not conscious cannot take decisions on their own, and outside parties must provide consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Counselling Informed Consent Form Canada
There are certain elements that are commonly included in informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical conditions/diagnosis
The treatment suggested by the physician in charge
The risks and benefits associated with this method of treatment
There are alternative treatments offered, as are their risks and benefits
The potential risks and rewards with refusing treatment at all
Not only should these details be documented however, they must communicated with the person receiving the treatment. This way, he will be able to comprehend the details of the situation and will receive immediate responses to any questions that be arising.