Informed Consent Form – Everyone should be able to make informed decisions regarding their healthcare. Medical procedures can be invasive, so patients should be able, in the end, to decide the risks that are known to be present and the way their bodies will be treated. Thus, before medical professionals are allowed to administer treatments to patients, they must receive what is known as informed consent.
The informed consent requirement is legal condition in which patients are given a complete and accurate description of his or her physical health and the recommended treatment by the physician who is acting as the patient’s physician. Once this information is received patients must sign a consent form with the doctor to treat before any form of care can be provided. Without informed consent from the patient the health professional is not permitted to offer treatment.
Decision Making Capacity
In some cases patients may not have the skills to comprehend their treatment options , as well as the risks/benefits associated with each one. In other circumstances patients may not be able to effectively communicate their decision to health workers. If this happens patients are said to not possess adequate capacity to make decisions. A family member or court-appointed representative could then be able to make informed consent on behalf of the patient.
Patients who are influenced by their emotions, like anxiety or fear, for instance they could be judged as not having the capacity to make decisions. The patients who are unconscious cannot take decisions on their own, and outside parties have to give consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Informed Consent Form
There are certain elements that are common to all consent forms:
The patient’s medical condition/diagnosis
The treatment that is recommended by the doctor in charge
The risks and benefits that come with this procedure
Alternative treatments are available, as well as their risks and benefits
The risks and benefits that come with refusing treatment at all
Not only should these details be recorded in the documentation, but they must also communicated with the person receiving the treatment. In this way, he or can fully comprehend what is happening and will be able to get immediate answers to any questions that may be arising.
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