Flu Consent Form – Everyone should be able to make educated decisions about their health. Treatments for medical conditions can be demanding, and therefore patients should be able, in the end, to decide the risks that are known to be present of their body, how it will be treated. Thus, before medical personnel are allowed to treat patients, they must receive what is known as informed consent.
Informed consent is a legal requirement under which a patient is provided with detailed information about his or her physical condition and the recommended treatment by the acting physician. After receiving this information the patient has to be able to give the physician their consent to treat prior to any form of care is offered. Without informed consent from the patient health care professional cannot offer treatments.
Decision Making Capacity
In certain situations patients may not have the skills to comprehend the options for treatment and the benefits and risks associated with each one. In other circumstances patients may not be able to effectively communicate their decision to health care professionals. If this happens, the patient is said not to have adequate decision making capacity. A family member or court-appointed representative then, is allowed to take over informed consent.
Patients that are strongly influenced by their emotions such as anxiety or fear, as an example could be classified as not having the capacity to make decisions. The ones who are asleep clearly cannot make decisions on independent of themselves, so outsiders need to consent to treatment instead.
Items in an Flu Consent Form
There are certain elements that are generally included in informed consent forms:
The diagnosis or medical condition of the patient.
The recommended treatment is suggested by the doctor in charge
The benefits and risks associated with this method of treatment
Alternative treatments that are available, along with their benefits and risks
The potential risks and rewards with not accepting any treatment at all
The items should not only be documented, but they must also have a discussion with the patient. In this way, he or can fully comprehend the details of the situation and can get direct answers to any queries that might arise.