Indemnity Consent Form – Every person should be able to make educated decisions about their healthcare. Treatments for medical conditions can be injurious, and patients must be able, in the end, to decide from the facts about risks of their body, how it will be treated. Therefore, before medical workers can provide treatment to patients they must be given what is known as informed consent.
The informed consent requirement is legal requirement in which patients are provided with specific information regarding his or her physical condition as well as the treatment that is recommended by the physician in charge. Once this information is received patients must provide the physician with consent to treat before any form of treatment is offered. Without informed consent from the patient, a health care provider is not permitted to provide treatment.
Decision Making Capacity
In some instances, patients do not possess the capacity to comprehend their options regarding treatment, and the potential risks and benefits associated with each one. In other circumstances patients might not be able communicate their choices to health workers. When this occurs patients are said to lack the appropriate decision making capacity. Family members or a court-appointed representative, could then be able to give informed consent in lieu of the patient.
Patients who are greatly influenced by their emotions such as anxiety or fear for instance they could be judged as lacking the ability to make decisions. Those who are unconscious clearly cannot make decisions on their independently, and other people have to give consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Indemnity Consent Form
Certain elements are universally included in informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical condition/diagnosis
The recommended treatment is suggested by the physician who is acting
The risks and the benefits associated with this method of treatment
Alternative treatments are available, along with their potential risks and benefits
The risks and benefits associated with not accepting any treatment at all
Not only must these items be detailed in documentation However, they should also be discussed with the patient. This way, he will be able to comprehend all the details of the scenario and can get direct answers to any concerns that might be arising.