Family Therapy Consent Form – Every person should be able to make educated decisions about their healthcare. Medical procedures can be injurious, and patients must be able to ultimately determine in light of known risks that their bodies should be treated. Thus, before medical personnel are allowed to be able to treat their patients, they need to receive the process of informed consent.
Informed consent constitutes a lawful condition under which a patient has been informed of the condition of their body and the treatment suggested by the acting physician. After receiving this information the patient is required to sign a consent form with the doctor to treat prior to any form of treatment can be delivered. Without informed consent from the patient any health professional cannot provide treatment.
Decision Making Capacity
In some cases patients may not have the ability to comprehend their options regarding treatment, and the risks/benefits associated with each. In other instances patients may not be able to effectively communicate their decisions to the health care professionals. In such situations, the patient is said to lack the necessary decision making capacity. Family members or a court appointed representative can give informed consent in lieu of the patient.
Patients who are heavily influenced by their emotions – such as anxiety or fear, as an example can be deemed to lacking the ability to make decisions. Those who are unconscious clearly cannot take decisions on their own. Therefore, outside parties must provide consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Family Therapy Consent Form
There are certain elements that are generally included in informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical conditions/diagnosis
The treatment that is recommended by the doctor in charge
The risks and benefits that come with this treatment
There are alternative treatments available, along with their potential risks and benefits
The dangers and advantages with accepting no treatment whatsoever
Not only should these details be documented But they also need to have a discussion with the patient. In this way, he or will be able to comprehend all the details of the scenario and will receive immediate responses to any questions that have arisen.