Digital Consent Form App – Everyone should be able to make educated decisions about their health. Medical procedures can be invasive, so patients should be able to decide the risks that are known to be present and the way their bodies will be treated. Thus, before medical personnel can be able to treat their patients, they must be given what is known as informed consent.
Informed consent , a requirement in law is the condition under which a patient is informed of the condition of their body and the treatment recommended by the acting physician. Once this information is received patients must be able to give the physician their consent to treat prior to any form of care is delivered. Without the patient’s informed consent the health professional is not permitted to provide treatments.
Decision Making Capacity
In some cases patients lack the skills to 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 communicate their decision to health professionals. In these situations, the patient is said not to have adequate capacity for decision-making. A family member or court-appointed representative then, is allowed to make informed consent on behalf of the patient.
Patients who are greatly influenced by their emotions, like anxiety or fear, as an example are deemed not having the capacity to make decisions. The ones who are asleep clearly can’t make decisions on independent of themselves, so outsiders need to consent to treatment instead.
Items in an Digital Consent Form App
There are certain elements that are common to all consent forms:
The patient’s medical diagnosis/condition
The treatment that is recommended by the physician who is acting
The risks and benefits that come with this method of treatment
Alternative treatments are also offered, as are their benefits and risks
The dangers and advantages of refusing treatment whatsoever
These details must not only be recorded in the documentation however, they must be discussed with the patient. In this way, he or will be able to comprehend what is happening and will be able to get immediate answers to any queries that might be arising.