Massage Therapy Informed Consent Form – Every person should be able to make informed decisions about their health. Treatments for medical conditions can be injurious, and patients must be able decide according to the known risks, how their bodies will be treated. Therefore, before medical workers are allowed to operate on patients, they have to obtain the so-called informed consent.
A patient’s informed consent can be a legally binding condition in which patients are provided with specific information regarding his or her physical health and the treatment suggested by the acting physician. Once this information is received, the patient must offer the physician consent to treat prior to any form of care can be offered. Without informed consent from the patient health care professional is not allowed to provide treatments.
Decision Making Capacity
In certain instances patients lack the skills to comprehend the options for treatment and the risks/benefits of each. In other instances patients might not be able to effectively explain their decisions to health professionals. In these situations, the patient is said not to have adequate capacity to make decisions. A family member or court-appointed representative in this case, can give informed consent in lieu of the patient.
Patients that are strongly influenced by their emotions – anxiety or fear for instance could be classified as not possessing decision making capacity. The ones who are asleep clearly are unable to make decisions on their own. Therefore, outside parties need to consent to treatment instead.
Items in an Massage Therapy Informed Consent Form
There are certain elements that are common to all consent forms:
The patient’s medical diagnosis/condition
The treatment that is recommended by the acting physician
The benefits and risks associated with this procedure
Alternative treatments are readily available, as well as their potential risks and benefits
The potential risks and rewards with refusing treatment whatsoever
These items must not only be recorded in the patient’s medical records however, they must be discussed with the patient. So, he she will fully understand the specifics of the situation and receive direct responses to any questions that have arisen.
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