Dos Consent Forms – Everyone should be able to make informed decisions about their healthcare. The medical procedures can be injurious, and patients must be able to determine from the facts about risks as well as their own personal preferences, how they will be treated. In order to ensure that medical professionals can be able to treat their patients, they have to obtain what is known as informed consent.
The informed consent requirement is legal condition under which a patient is provided with specific information regarding his or her physical condition and the treatment suggested by the doctor in charge. After receiving this information the patient has to give the doctor their consent to treat before any form or treatment can be provided. Without the patient’s informed consent the health professional is not allowed to provide treatment.
Decision Making Capacity
In certain instances patients lack the capabilities to fully understand the options for treatment and the risks and benefits that come with each one. In other instances patients might not be able to effectively communicate their decision to health professionals. In such situations the patient is considered not to possess the proper capacity to make decisions. A family member or court-appointed representative will then be permitted to provide informed consent instead.
Patients who are influenced by their emotions, like anxiety or fear, for instance are deemed not possessing decision making capacity. The patients who are unconscious cannot take decisions on their own. Therefore, outside parties are required to obtain consent instead.
Items in an Dos Consent Forms
Certain elements are included on all informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical diagnosis/condition
The procedure recommended by the acting physician
The risks and benefits associated with this treatment
Alternative treatments are readily offered, as are their risks and benefits
The benefits and risks associated with refusing any treatment whatsoever
These items must not only be documented in a written document, but they must also discuss the situation with patients. This way, he or she will fully understand the details of the situation and get straight answers to any concerns that might arise.