Customer Consent Form – Everyone should have the ability to make informed choices about their healthcare. The medical procedures can be injurious, and patients must be able to ultimately determine from the facts about risks of their body, how it will be treated. In order to ensure that medical professionals can provide treatment to patients they have to obtain what is known as informed consent.
A patient’s informed consent can be a legally binding requirement under which a patient has been given a complete and accurate description of his or her physical state as well as the treatment that is recommended by the treating physician. After receiving this information patients must provide the physician with consent to treat prior to any form or treatment can be administered. Without the patient’s informed consent health care professional is not permitted to provide treatments.
Decision Making Capacity
In certain instances the patients aren’t equipped with the skills to comprehend the options for treatment and the benefits and risks associated with each. In other situations patients may not be able to communicate their decisions to the health care professionals. In such situations patients are said not to possess the proper capacity for decision-making. If a family member is not present, or court-appointed representative could then be able to perform informed consent instead.
Patients who are greatly influenced by their emotions such as anxiety or fear, for example can be deemed to not possessing decision making capacity. Those who are unconscious clearly cannot make decisions on own, and outside parties require consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Customer Consent Form
Certain elements are common to all consent forms:
The patient’s medical condition/diagnosis
The treatment recommended by the acting physician
The risks and advantages associated with this method of treatment
Alternative treatments are also available, as well as their risks and benefits
The risks and benefits that come of refusing treatment whatsoever
These details must not only be recorded in the documentation They must also have a discussion with the patient. So, he she will fully understand the specifics of the situation and will be able to get immediate answers to any questions that may be arising.