Informed Consent Form Counseling Students – Everybody should be able to make informed decisions regarding their healthcare. Medical treatments can be quite injurious, and patients must be able to ultimately determine, based on known risks, how their bodies will be treated. Thus, before medical personnel are allowed to be able to treat their patients, they must obtain the so-called informed consent.
Informed consent constitutes a lawful requirement in which patients are provided with detailed information about the condition of their body and the treatment recommended by the physician in charge. After receiving this information the patient is required to give the doctor their consent to treat prior to any form or treatment can be administered. Without the patient’s informed consent health care professional is not permitted to provide treatment.
Decision Making Capacity
In certain instances patients lack the capacity to comprehend their treatment options and the risks/benefits associated with each. In other circumstances, patients may not be able to communicate their decision to health workers. If this happens it is believed that the patient not to have adequate capacity to make decisions. A family member or court-appointed representative, can provide informed consent instead.
Patients who are strongly affected by their emotions – anxiety or fear, as an example could be classified as not having the capacity to make decisions. The ones who are asleep clearly cannot take decisions on their independently, and other people need to consent to treatment instead.
Items in an Informed Consent Form Counseling Students
Certain elements are included on all informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical condition/diagnosis
The procedure recommended by the physician in charge
The benefits and risks associated with this procedure
Alternative treatments are offered, as are their risks and benefits
The dangers and advantages with refusing treatment at all
Not only should these details be recorded in the documentation They must also be discussed with the patient. This way, he or will be able to comprehend the particulars of the case and will be able to get immediate answers to any concerns that might be arising.