Informed Consent Form For Surgery – Everybody should be able to make informed decisions about their health. The medical procedures can be invasive, so patients should be able to decide the risks that are known to be present and the way their bodies will be treated. In order to ensure that medical professionals are allowed to administer treatments to patients, they must obtain what is known as informed consent.
Informed consent constitutes a lawful requirement in which patients are provided with a full and complete description of the physical condition and the recommended treatment by the physician who is acting as the patient’s physician. After receiving this information the patient must offer the physician consent to treat prior to any form of treatment is provided. Without informed consent from the patient the health professional is not permitted to offer treatment.
Decision Making Capacity
In some instances patients lack the capabilities to fully understand their options regarding treatment, and the risks and benefits that come with each one. In other circumstances patients may not be able to communicate their decisions to the health workers. When this occurs it is believed that the patient not to possess the proper decision making capacity. If a family member is not present, or court-appointed representative then, is allowed to perform informed consent instead.
Patients that are strongly influenced by their emotions such as anxiety or fear for instance are deemed not possessing decision making capacity. The patients who are unconscious cannot make decisions on own. Therefore, outside parties must provide consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Informed Consent Form For Surgery
There are certain elements that are common to all consent forms:
The diagnosis or medical condition of the patient.
The procedure recommended by the acting physician
The risks and benefits associated with this method of treatment
Alternative treatments that are offered, as are their risks and benefits
The potential risks and rewards with refusing treatment at all
These details must not only be documented, but they must also be discussed with the patient. In this way, he or will be able to comprehend all the details of the scenario and receive direct responses to any concerns that might arise.
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