Dental Consent Form – Everyone should have the ability to make informed decisions about their healthcare. Treatments for medical conditions can be risky, therefore patients should be able decide from the facts about risks of their body, how it will be treated. Thus, before medical personnel can operate on patients, they need to receive the so-called informed consent.
Informed consent is a legal condition that requires that a patient be informed of the condition of their body and the treatment recommended by the treating physician. Once this information is received the patient is required to offer the physician consent to treat prior to any form or treatment can be offered. Without informed consent from the patient, a health care provider is not allowed to provide treatment.
Decision Making Capacity
In some cases patients don’t have the ability to comprehend their options in terms of treatment and the risks and benefits that come with each. In other circumstances patients may not be able communicate their choices to health professionals. In these situations the patient is said not to possess the proper capacity to make decisions. An individual from the family or court appointed representative then, is allowed to perform informed consent instead.
Patients who are strongly affected by their emotions such as anxiety or fear, for example are deemed not able to make decisions. Patients who are in the state of unconscious cannot make decisions on own. Therefore, outside parties have to give consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Dental Consent Form
Certain elements are universally included in informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical condition/diagnosis
The treatment that is recommended by the doctor in charge
The risks and benefits associated with this procedure
Alternative treatments that are available, along with their potential risks and benefits
The potential risks and rewards with refusing any treatment whatsoever
The items should not only be detailed in documentation, but they must also communicated with the person receiving the treatment. In this way, he or can fully comprehend the details of the situation and will receive immediate responses to any issues that may arise.