Dental Informed Consent Forms – Everybody should be able to make informed choices about their medical care. Medical procedures can be injurious, and patients must be able decide in light of known risks as well as their own personal preferences, how they will be treated. So, before medical professionals are allowed to be able to treat their patients, they need to receive what is known as informed consent.
Informed consent is a legal requirement under which a patient has been provided with detailed information about his or her physical health and the recommended treatment by the treating physician. After receiving this information the patient must provide the physician with consent to treat prior to any form of care can be delivered. Without the patient’s informed consent health care professional is not permitted to provide treatments.
Decision Making Capacity
In certain situations patients don’t have the knowledge to fully comprehend their treatment options and the benefits and risks associated with each. In other situations patients may not be able to communicate their decision to health care professionals. When this occurs the patient is considered to lack the appropriate capacity to make decisions. If a family member is not present, or court appointed representative can make informed consent on behalf of the patient.
Patients who are greatly influenced by their emotions – anxiety or fear for instance they could be judged as lacking the ability to make decisions. Those who are unconscious clearly cannot make decisions on their own. Therefore, outside parties need to consent to treatment instead.
Items in an Dental Informed Consent Forms
Certain elements are commonly included in informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical condition or diagnosis
The treatment that is recommended by the doctor in charge
The benefits and risks associated with this method of treatment
There are alternative treatments available, along with their potential risks and benefits
The potential risks and rewards with accepting no treatment at all
These items must not only be detailed in documentation They must also have a discussion with the patient. This way, he can fully comprehend all the details of the scenario and can get direct answers to any concerns that might have arisen.
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