Minor Medical Consent Form – Every person should be able to make informed decisions about their medical care. Medical treatments can be invasive, so patients should be able to decide in light of known risks as well as their own personal preferences, how they will be treated. Thus, before medical professionals are permitted to operate on patients, they need to receive the so-called informed consent.
A patient’s informed consent can be a legally binding requirement under which a patient is informed of the condition of their body and the recommended treatment by the physician who is acting as the patient’s physician. After receiving this information the patient is required to be able to give the physician their consent to treat prior to any form of treatment can be delivered. Without the patient’s informed consent an health care professional cannot provide treatments.
Decision Making Capacity
In some instances, patients do not possess the capabilities to fully understand their options in terms of treatment and the benefits and risks associated with each. In other situations, patients may not be able to effectively communicate their choices to health care professionals. In such situations the patient is considered not to have adequate decision making capacity. Family members or a court appointed representative will then be permitted to take over informed consent.
Patients who are strongly affected by their emotions, such as anxiety or fear, as an example are deemed not able to make decisions. Patients who are in the state of unconscious cannot make decisions on independently, and other people require consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Minor Medical Consent Form
There are certain elements that are common to all consent forms:
The diagnosis or medical condition of the patient.
The treatment suggested by the physician who is acting
The risks and benefits that come with this procedure
There are alternative treatments available, along with their risks and benefits
The benefits and risks associated with refusing any treatment whatsoever
The items should not only be documented in a written document, but they must also be discussed with the patient. In this way, he or is able to fully comprehend the particulars of the case and receive direct responses to any questions that arise.
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