Ethical Consent Form – Everyone should be able to make informed decisions regarding their healthcare. Medical treatments can be quite demanding, and therefore patients should be able, in the end, to decide in light of known risks and the way their bodies will be treated. In order to ensure that medical professionals are permitted to operate on patients, they must be given what is known as informed consent.
A patient’s informed consent can be a legally binding condition where a patient is given a complete and accurate description of his or her physical health and the treatment suggested by the doctor in charge. Once this information is received the patient has to offer the physician consent to treat prior to any form of treatment is given. Without informed consent from the patient any health professional cannot offer treatments.
Decision Making Capacity
In certain instances patients lack the capabilities to fully understand their options regarding treatment, and the benefits and risks associated with each one. In other circumstances patients might not be able to effectively communicate their choices to health professionals. If this happens the patient is considered to lack the appropriate capacity for decision-making. Family members or a court appointed representative in this case, can take over informed consent.
Patients who are greatly influenced by their emotions, such as anxiety or fear, for example can be deemed to lacking the ability to make decisions. The patients who are unconscious cannot make decisions on their independently, and other people need to consent to treatment instead.
Items in an Ethical Consent Form
Certain elements are generally included in informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical condition or diagnosis
The procedure recommended by the physician who is acting
The risks and advantages associated with this treatment
Alternative treatments are also available, along with their potential risks and benefits
The dangers and advantages with not accepting any treatment whatsoever
The items should not only be documented in a written document But they also need to have a discussion with the patient. So, he will be able to comprehend the particulars of the case and will be able to get immediate answers to any issues that may arise.
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