Dental Office Consent Forms – Everyone should be able to make informed choices about their medical care. Medical treatments can be quite sensitive, so patients must be able to decide in light of known risks that their bodies should be treated. Thus, before medical professionals can provide treatment to patients they must be given the process of informed consent.
Informed consent is a legal requirement in which patients are given a complete and accurate description of his or her physical health as well as the treatment that is recommended by the doctor in charge. Once this information is received the patient must sign a consent form with the doctor to treat before any form of care is administered. Without informed consent from the patient the health professional is not allowed to provide treatments.
Decision Making Capacity
In some cases patients may not have the knowledge to fully comprehend their options in terms of treatment and the risks and benefits that come with each one. In other circumstances, patients may not be able to effectively explain their decisions to health professionals. Under these circumstances the patient is considered not to possess the proper capacity for decision-making. A family member or court-appointed representative, will then be permitted to perform informed consent instead.
Patients who are strongly affected by their emotions such as anxiety or fear, as an example are deemed lacking the ability to make decisions. Patients who are in the state of unconscious cannot make decisions on own, and outside parties are required to obtain consent instead.
Items in an Dental Office Consent Forms
There are certain elements that are common to all consent forms:
The patient’s medical condition/diagnosis
The treatment recommended by the doctor in charge
The risks and benefits that come with this procedure
Alternative treatments are available, as well as their benefits and risks
The potential risks and rewards with refusing treatment at all
The items should not only be documented, but they must also communicated with the person receiving the treatment. This way, he she will fully understand the details of the situation and will receive immediate responses to any questions that may be arising.
Download Dental Office Consent Forms
Gallery of Dental Office Consent Forms
