Icu Admission Consent Form – Everyone should have the ability to make informed decisions regarding their healthcare. Treatments for medical conditions can be demanding, and therefore patients should be able to ultimately determine from the facts about risks as well as their own personal preferences, how they will be treated. Thus, before medical professionals are permitted to treat patients, they must receive the process of informed consent.
Informed consent is a legal requirement in which patients are provided with detailed information about his or her physical condition and the treatment suggested by the physician in charge. Once this information is received patients must sign a consent form with the doctor to treat before any form or treatment can be delivered. Without the patient’s informed consent an health care professional cannot offer treatments.
Decision Making Capacity
In some instances patients may not have the knowledge to fully comprehend the options for treatment and the risks/benefits of each. In other instances, patients may not be able communicate their decision to health care professionals. Under these circumstances it is believed that the patient to lack the necessary capacity for decision-making. Family members or a court-appointed representative, then, is allowed to perform informed consent instead.
Patients who are greatly influenced by their emotions – anxiety or fear for instance they could be judged as not possessing decision making capacity. The ones who are asleep clearly are unable to make decisions on their own, and outside parties are required to obtain consent instead.
Items in an Icu Admission Consent Form
There are certain elements that are generally included in informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical conditions/diagnosis
The treatment recommended by the doctor in charge
The risks and benefits that come with this treatment
Alternative treatments that are available, as well as their risks and benefits
The risks and benefits associated with accepting no treatment at all
These items must not only be documented But they also need to been discussed by the patient. This way, he or can fully comprehend the specifics of the situation and receive direct responses to any issues that may arise.