Methotrexate Consent Form – Everyone should be able to make educated decisions about their health. Medical procedures can be risky, therefore patients should be able, in the end, to decide according to the known risks of their body, how it will be treated. Therefore, before medical workers are permitted to operate on patients, they need to receive the process of informed consent.
Informed consent is a legal condition that requires that a patient be given a complete and accurate description of his or her physical health and the treatment recommended by the physician who is acting as the patient’s physician. Once this information is received the patient is required to give the doctor their consent to treat before any form of treatment is administered. Without the patient’s informed consent an health care professional is not permitted to provide treatments.
Decision Making Capacity
In certain situations patients may not have the knowledge to fully comprehend their treatment options and the benefits and risks associated with each one. In other circumstances patients might not be able to effectively communicate their choices to health professionals. If this happens it is believed that the patient not to have adequate decision making capacity. A family member or court-appointed representative then, is allowed to take over informed consent.
Patients who are influenced by their emotions, such as anxiety or fear, for instance could be classified as not having the capacity to make decisions. Patients who are in the state of unconscious cannot take decisions on their own, and outside parties require consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Methotrexate Consent Form
There are certain elements that are universally included in informed consent forms:
The diagnosis or medical condition of the patient.
The treatment recommended by the physician who is acting
The risks and advantages associated with this method of treatment
Alternative treatments are available, as well as their risks and benefits
The risks and benefits associated with accepting no treatment whatsoever
Not only must these items be documented in a written document, but they must also communicated with the person receiving the treatment. This way, he will be able to comprehend the details of the situation and get straight answers to any questions that may have arisen.