Does A Medical Consent Form Need To Be Notarized – Every person should be able to make educated decisions about their medical care. Medical treatments can be quite injurious, and patients must be able to decide, based on known risks and the way their bodies will be treated. In order to ensure that medical professionals are allowed to provide treatment to patients they must obtain the process of informed consent.
The informed consent requirement is legal requirement in which patients are provided with specific information regarding the physical condition and the treatment suggested by the doctor in charge. Once this information is received the patient has to provide the physician with consent to treat before any form of care is given. Without informed consent from the patient any health professional is not permitted to provide treatment.
Decision Making Capacity
In some cases patients don’t have the knowledge to fully comprehend the options for treatment and the benefits and risks associated with each. In some instances patients might not be able to effectively communicate their decisions to the health care professionals. In these situations it is believed that the patient not to have adequate capacity for decision-making. The family member, or court appointed representative in this case, can provide informed consent instead.
Patients who are heavily influenced by their emotions, like anxiety or fear, as an example they could be judged as not possessing decision making capacity. People who are not conscious cannot take decisions on their independent of themselves, so outsiders must provide consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Does A Medical Consent Form Need To Be Notarized
There are certain elements that are included on all informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical diagnosis/condition
The treatment that is recommended by the medical professional in charge
The risks and advantages associated with this procedure
Alternative treatments are also available, as well as their potential risks and benefits
The risks and benefits associated with refusing any treatment at all
These items must not only be detailed in documentation however, they must have a discussion with the patient. This way, he can fully comprehend the specifics of the situation and receive direct responses to any issues that may be arising.