Donor Consent Form – Everyone should be able to make informed decisions about their healthcare. Treatments for medical conditions can be injurious, and patients must be able to determine in light of known risks, how their bodies will be treated. Therefore, before medical workers can provide treatment to patients they must be given the so-called informed consent.
Informed consent constitutes a lawful condition that requires that a patient be provided with specific information regarding his or her physical health as well as the treatment that is recommended by the treating physician. Once this information is received, the patient must be able to give the physician their consent to treat before any form of treatment is administered. Without the patient’s informed consent health care professional cannot provide treatments.
Decision Making Capacity
In some cases, patients do not possess the capacity to comprehend their treatment options , as well as the potential risks and benefits associated with each one. In other cases patients may not be able to convey their preferences to health workers. If this happens the patient is considered to lack the appropriate capacity to make decisions. The family member, or court-appointed representative, will then be permitted to take over informed consent.
Patients who are greatly influenced by their emotions – anxiety or fear, for instance – may be determined as not having the capacity for decision-making. People who are not conscious cannot take decisions on their own, and outside parties need to consent to treatment instead.
Items in an Donor Consent Form
Certain elements are common to all consent forms:
The patient’s medical condition/diagnosis
The treatment suggested by the medical professional in charge
The risks and benefits associated with this method of treatment
Alternative treatments are also offered, as are their risks and benefits
The risks and benefits that come with refusing any treatment whatsoever
These items must not only be recorded in the patient’s medical records, but they must also been discussed by the patient. So, he can fully comprehend what is happening and will receive immediate responses to any issues that may arise.