Dentrix Consent Forms – Every person should be able to make informed choices about their healthcare. Medical procedures can be sensitive, so patients must be able, in the end, to decide the risks that are known to be present and the way their bodies will be treated. Thus, before medical professionals are permitted to treat patients, they must receive the process of informed consent.
Informed consent is a legal requirement under which a patient has been provided with specific information regarding his or her physical state as well as the treatment that is recommended by the acting physician. After receiving this information, the patient must be able to give the physician their consent to treat prior to any form or treatment can be delivered. Without informed consent from the patient health care professional is not permitted to provide treatments.
Decision Making Capacity
In some cases patients may not have the skills to comprehend their options in terms of treatment and the potential risks and benefits associated with each one. In other cases, patients may not be able to communicate their decision to health workers. In these situations the patient is considered not to possess the proper capacity for decision-making. An individual from the family or court appointed representative can perform informed consent instead.
Patients who are heavily influenced by their emotions – such as anxiety or fear, for example they could be judged as lacking the ability to make decisions. Patients who are in the state of unconscious cannot make decisions on independently, and other people have to give consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Dentrix Consent Forms
Certain elements are universally included in informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical condition/diagnosis
The recommended treatment is suggested by the acting physician
The risks and benefits associated with this treatment
There are alternative treatments available, along with their benefits and risks
The potential risks and rewards with refusing any treatment at all
These details must not only be detailed in documentation, but they must also discuss the situation with patients. This way, he or she will fully understand all the details of the scenario and get straight answers to any questions that arise.