Event Data Recorder Consent Form – Everyone should be able to make informed decisions regarding their medical care. 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. Therefore, before medical workers are permitted to treat patients, they need to receive the process of informed consent.
The informed consent requirement is legal requirement in which patients are given a complete and accurate description of his or her physical condition and the treatment recommended by the physician in charge. After receiving this information the patient is required to sign a consent form with the doctor to treat before any form or treatment can be offered. Without the patient’s informed consent any health professional cannot provide treatment.
Decision Making Capacity
In some instances patients don’t have the capabilities to fully understand their treatment options and the risks/benefits of each. In other situations patients may not be able to effectively communicate their choices to health professionals. If this happens, the patient is said not to have adequate capacity to make decisions. The family member, or court-appointed representative, could then be able to provide informed consent instead.
Patients who are heavily influenced by their emotions, such as anxiety or fear, for example are deemed not having the capacity for decision-making. The patients who are unconscious cannot take decisions on their independent of themselves, so outsiders are required to obtain consent instead.
Items in an Event Data Recorder Consent Form
There are certain elements that are universally included in informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical condition/diagnosis
The treatment recommended by the doctor in charge
The benefits and risks associated with this method of treatment
There are alternative treatments offered, as are their risks and benefits
The risks and benefits that come of refusing treatment at all
These items must not only be documented however, they must communicated with the person receiving the treatment. This way, he will be able to comprehend the particulars of the case and receive direct responses to any issues that may arise.