Focus Group Consent Form – Everyone should have the ability to make informed decisions about their medical care. Medical procedures can be risky, therefore patients should be able decide according to the known risks as well as their own personal preferences, how they will be treated. So, before medical professionals are permitted to be able to treat their patients, they need to receive the process of informed consent.
A patient’s informed consent can be a legally binding condition where a patient is given a complete and accurate description of the condition of their body and the recommended treatment by the physician in charge. After receiving this information patients must be able to give the physician their consent to treat prior to any form of care can be delivered. Without informed consent from the patient an health care professional is not allowed to provide treatment.
Decision Making Capacity
In certain instances, patients do not possess the capabilities to fully understand their options regarding treatment, and the risks/benefits associated with each. In other circumstances patients might not be able convey their preferences to health care professionals. If this happens it is believed that the patient not to have adequate decision making capacity. If a family member is not present, or court-appointed representative then, is allowed to make informed consent on behalf of the patient.
Patients who are strongly affected by their emotions – anxiety or fear, as an example they could be judged as not having the capacity to make decisions. The ones who are asleep clearly can’t make decisions on alone, and external parties have to give consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Focus Group Consent Form
Certain elements are common to all consent forms:
The patient’s medical condition/diagnosis
The recommended treatment is suggested by the physician in charge
The risks and benefits that come with this method of treatment
Alternative treatments are also available, along with their risks and benefits
The benefits and risks associated with accepting no treatment at all
Not only should these details be documented however, they must been discussed by the patient. In this way, he or she will fully understand the details of the situation and will receive immediate responses to any questions that be arising.