Flu Shot Consent Form – Everybody should be able to make informed choices about their medical care. Medical treatments can be demanding, and therefore patients should be able to decide, based on known risks and the way their bodies will be treated. Thus, before 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 requirement in which patients are provided with a full and complete description of his or her physical health as well as the treatment that is recommended 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 care is administered. Without informed consent from the patient the health professional cannot provide treatment.
Decision Making Capacity
In some cases the patients aren’t equipped with the knowledge to fully comprehend their options in terms of treatment and the risks and benefits that come with each. In other circumstances, patients may not be able to effectively communicate their decision to health care professionals. In these situations patients are said not to have adequate capacity for decision-making. An individual from the family or court-appointed representative can give informed consent in lieu of the patient.
Patients who are strongly affected by their emotions – anxiety or fear, for example can be deemed to lacking the ability to make decisions. Patients who are in the state of unconscious cannot make decisions on their own, and outside parties need to consent to treatment instead.
Items in an Flu Shot Consent Form
Certain elements are universally included in informed consent forms:
The diagnosis or medical condition of the patient.
The recommended treatment is suggested by the acting physician
The benefits and risks associated with this treatment
Alternative treatments that are available, along with their risks and benefits
The dangers and advantages with refusing treatment at all
These details must not only be recorded in the patient’s medical records however, they must discuss the situation with patients. This way, he or can be fully aware of the details of the situation and will be able to get immediate answers to any queries that might have arisen.