Electronic Patient Consent Forms – Everyone should be able to make educated decisions about their health. Medical treatments can be quite demanding, and therefore patients should be able to decide, based on known risks that their bodies should be treated. Therefore, before medical workers are permitted to administer treatments to patients, they have to obtain what is known as informed consent.
Informed consent is a legal condition where a patient is informed of the physical condition and the recommended treatment by the treating physician. Once this information is received patients must offer the physician consent to treat before any form of care is offered. Without informed consent from the patient any health professional is not allowed to provide treatments.
Decision Making Capacity
In some cases patients may not have the knowledge to fully 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 explain their decisions to health professionals. When this occurs the patient is considered to not possess adequate capacity to make decisions. Family members or a court appointed representative will then be permitted to take over informed consent.
Patients who are influenced by their emotions such as anxiety or fear, as an example can be deemed to not having the capacity to make decisions. Patients who are in the state of unconscious can’t make decisions on independently, and other people are required to obtain consent instead.
Items in an Electronic Patient Consent Forms
Certain elements are commonly included in informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical condition or diagnosis
The procedure recommended by the acting physician
The risks and advantages associated with this procedure
There are alternative treatments available, along with their benefits and risks
The dangers and advantages with refusing any treatment at all
Not only must these items be detailed in documentation however, they must been discussed by the patient. So, he is able to fully comprehend the particulars of the case and can get direct answers to any queries that might arise.
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