Jehovah Witness Consent Form – Everyone should be able to make informed decisions regarding their health. Medical treatments can be quite invasive, so patients should be able decide according to the known risks, how their bodies will be treated. Thus, before medical personnel can be able to treat their patients, they must obtain the so-called informed consent.
Informed consent constitutes a lawful condition where a patient is given a complete and accurate description of the condition of their body and the recommended treatment by the physician in charge. After receiving this information patients must be able to give the physician their consent to treat before any form of care is administered. Without informed consent from the patient the health professional is not permitted to provide treatments.
Decision Making Capacity
In some instances patients lack the ability to comprehend their options in terms of treatment and the risks/benefits associated with each. In other situations, patients may not be able communicate their choices to health professionals. In such situations the patient is said not to have adequate decision making capacity. Family members or a court appointed representative can perform informed consent instead.
Patients that are strongly influenced by their emotions – anxiety or fear for instance they could be judged as not having the capacity to make decisions. The patients who are unconscious cannot make decisions on own. Therefore, outside parties have to give consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Jehovah Witness Consent Form
There are certain elements that are commonly included in informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical condition/diagnosis
The recommended treatment is suggested by the medical professional in charge
The risks and the benefits associated with this treatment
Alternative treatments are readily offered, as are their potential risks and benefits
The benefits and risks associated of refusing treatment whatsoever
The items should not only be recorded in the patient’s medical records They must also be discussed with the patient. This way, he can fully comprehend all the details of the scenario and can get direct answers to any questions that may arise.