Euthanasia Consent Form – Everyone should be able to make informed choices about their healthcare. The medical procedures can be demanding, and therefore patients should be able decide the risks that are known to be present of their body, how it will be treated. Thus, before medical professionals can operate on patients, they must receive the process of informed consent.
Informed consent is a legal requirement in which patients are provided with a full and complete description of his or her physical condition and the recommended treatment by the treating physician. Once this information is received the patient has to be able to give the physician their consent to treat prior to any form or treatment can be provided. Without the patient’s informed consent any health professional cannot offer treatment.
Decision Making Capacity
In some cases patients don’t have the capacity to comprehend the options for treatment and the risks/benefits of each one. In some instances, patients may not be able to effectively communicate their decisions to the health professionals. If this happens the patient is considered to not possess adequate capacity for decision-making. If a family member is not present, or court-appointed representative, then, is allowed to perform informed consent instead.
Patients who are influenced by their emotions, such as anxiety or fear, for instance – may be determined as not having the capacity for decision-making. People who are not conscious cannot make decisions on independent of themselves, so outsiders are required to obtain consent instead.
Items in an Euthanasia Consent Form
There are certain elements that are universally included in informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical conditions/diagnosis
The treatment that is recommended by the physician who is acting
The risks and benefits that come with this method of treatment
Alternative treatments that are available, as well as their benefits and risks
The benefits and risks associated with refusing treatment at all
The items should not only be documented in a written document They must also communicated with the person receiving the treatment. So, he she will fully understand all the details of the scenario and will receive immediate responses to any queries that might have arisen.