One Parent Travel Consent Form – Every person should be able to make informed choices about their health. Medical procedures can be risky, therefore patients should be able to decide the risks that are known to be present and the way their bodies will be treated. So, before medical professionals can treat patients, they must receive the process of informed consent.
Informed consent is a legal requirement that requires that a patient be informed of the physical condition and the treatment recommended by the physician who is acting as the patient’s physician. Once this information is received the patient has to sign a consent form with the doctor to treat before any form or treatment can be given. Without the patient’s informed consent the health professional is not permitted to offer treatment.
Decision Making Capacity
In certain situations patients don’t have the knowledge to fully comprehend the options for treatment and the risks and benefits that come with each. In other cases patients might not be able to effectively explain their decisions to health care professionals. In these situations patients are said to not possess adequate decision making capacity. A family member or court appointed representative then, is allowed to make informed consent on behalf of the patient.
Patients who are greatly influenced by their emotions such as anxiety or fear, for example they could be judged as not possessing decision making capacity. Those who are unconscious clearly cannot make decisions on their independent of themselves, so outsiders require consent for treatment instead.
Items in an One Parent Travel Consent Form
There are certain elements that are commonly included in informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical diagnosis/condition
The treatment recommended by the physician who is acting
The risks and benefits associated with this procedure
Alternative treatments are available, as well as their risks and benefits
The dangers and advantages with refusing treatment whatsoever
These items must not only be recorded in the documentation however, they must been discussed by the patient. In this way, he or will be able to comprehend all the details of the scenario and will receive immediate responses to any issues that may be arising.