Medical Consent To Treat Form – Everyone should have the ability to make informed decisions about their medical care. Medical procedures can be injurious, and patients must be able to determine according to the known risks, how their bodies will be treated. Thus, before medical personnel are permitted to be able to treat their patients, they need to receive the so-called informed consent.
The informed consent requirement is legal requirement under which a patient is provided with a full and complete description of his or her physical health as well as the treatment that is recommended by the physician who is acting as the patient’s physician. Once this information is received the patient has to offer the physician consent to treat before any form of treatment can be administered. Without informed consent from the patient any health professional cannot provide treatments.
Decision Making Capacity
In certain situations the patients aren’t equipped with the capacity to comprehend their treatment options and the benefits and risks associated with each. In some instances, patients may not be able to effectively communicate their decision to health care professionals. When this occurs the patient is said not to have adequate decision making capacity. Family members or a court-appointed representative, could then be able to perform informed consent instead.
Patients who are greatly influenced by their emotions, such as anxiety or fear, for example are deemed not having the capacity for decision-making. People who are not conscious cannot take decisions on their independently, and other people have to give consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Medical Consent To Treat Form
There are certain elements that are generally included in informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical condition/diagnosis
The procedure recommended by the doctor in charge
The risks and the benefits associated with this treatment
Alternative treatments are available, along with their risks and benefits
The benefits and risks associated with not accepting any treatment at all
These details must not only be recorded in the patient’s medical records however, they must communicated with the person receiving the treatment. This way, he is able to fully comprehend the particulars of the case and receive direct responses to any concerns that might arise.