Lasik Consent Form – Everyone should have the ability to make informed choices about their healthcare. Treatments for medical conditions can be invasive, so patients should be able, in the end, to decide according to the known risks, how their bodies will be treated. In order to ensure that medical professionals are permitted to treat patients, they must be given what is known as informed consent.
The informed consent requirement is legal requirement under which a patient has been provided with detailed information about his or her physical health and the treatment suggested by the physician in charge. Once this information is received, the patient must be able to give the physician their consent to treat before any form of care can be offered. Without informed consent from the patient the health professional is not allowed to provide treatments.
Decision Making Capacity
In certain situations patients lack the knowledge to fully comprehend their options in terms of treatment and the benefits and risks associated with each one. In some instances, patients may not be able to effectively convey their preferences to health care professionals. When this occurs, the patient is said not to have adequate decision making capacity. An individual from the family or court-appointed representative could then be able to make informed consent on behalf of the patient.
Patients who are heavily influenced by their emotions such as anxiety or fear, for example they could be judged as not having the capacity for decision-making. People who are not conscious cannot make decisions on their independent of themselves, so outsiders require consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Lasik Consent Form
Certain elements are common to all consent forms:
The patient’s medical condition or diagnosis
The recommended treatment is suggested by the physician in charge
The risks and advantages associated with this treatment
Alternative treatments are also available, as well as their benefits and risks
The potential risks and rewards of refusing treatment whatsoever
Not only should these details be detailed in documentation, but they must also have a discussion with the patient. So, he she will fully understand what is happening and get straight answers to any concerns that might be arising.