Electronic Communication Consent Form – Every person should be able to make informed choices about their medical care. Medical treatments can be injurious, and patients must be able to ultimately determine the risks that are known to be present and the way their bodies will be treated. Thus, before medical personnel are allowed to treat patients, they need to receive what is known as informed consent.
Informed consent constitutes a lawful requirement under which a patient has been given a complete and accurate description of his or her physical state and the treatment suggested by the physician in charge. Once this information is received patients 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 is not allowed to provide treatment.
Decision Making Capacity
In some cases patients lack the knowledge to fully comprehend their options in terms of treatment and the potential risks and benefits associated with each. In other instances patients might not be able to communicate their decisions to the health professionals. In such situations it is believed that the patient to not possess adequate capacity to make decisions. Family members or a court appointed representative could then be able to take over informed consent.
Patients who are influenced by their emotions, like anxiety or fear for instance are deemed lacking the ability to make decisions. Patients who are in the state of unconscious cannot make decisions on independent of themselves, so outsiders have to give consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Electronic Communication Consent Form
There are certain elements that are commonly included in informed consent forms:
The diagnosis or medical condition of the patient.
The recommended treatment is suggested by the doctor in charge
The risks and benefits that come with this treatment
Alternative treatments are also available, as well as their risks and benefits
The potential risks and rewards with not accepting any treatment whatsoever
The items should not only be detailed in documentation, but they must also been discussed by the patient. This way, he is able to fully comprehend the details of the situation and will be able to get immediate answers to any questions that may arise.
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