Medical Consent Form Format – Everyone should be able to make educated decisions about their healthcare. The medical procedures can be injurious, and patients must be able to decide in light of known risks of their body, how it will be treated. Thus, before medical personnel can provide treatment to patients they must obtain the process of informed consent.
Informed consent , a requirement in law is the condition under which a patient has been provided with a full and complete description of his or her physical condition and the treatment recommended by the treating physician. After receiving this information the patient has to provide the physician with consent to treat before any form of care can be provided. Without informed consent from the patient health care professional cannot provide treatment.
Decision Making Capacity
In certain instances the patients aren’t equipped with the ability to comprehend their options regarding treatment, and the potential risks and benefits associated with each. In other cases patients may not be able to effectively explain their decisions to health professionals. Under these circumstances, the patient is said not to have adequate capacity to make decisions. A family member or court appointed representative could then be able to make informed consent on behalf of the patient.
Patients who are greatly influenced by their emotions, such as anxiety or fear for instance are deemed lacking the ability to make decisions. People who are not conscious cannot make decisions on their own. Therefore, outside parties must provide consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Medical Consent Form Format
Certain elements are common to all consent forms:
The diagnosis or medical condition of the patient.
The treatment recommended by the physician in charge
The risks and benefits associated with this treatment
Alternative treatments are available, as well as their potential risks and benefits
The risks and benefits that come with refusing treatment at all
These items must not only be recorded in the documentation But they also need to communicated with the person receiving the treatment. This way, he can be fully aware of the details of the situation and receive direct responses to any concerns that might arise.