Owner Consent Form – Everybody should be able to make informed decisions regarding their healthcare. Medical procedures can be injurious, and patients must be able to decide according to the known risks that their bodies should be treated. Thus, before medical personnel can operate on patients, they must receive the so-called informed consent.
A patient’s informed consent can be a legally binding condition where a patient is given a complete and accurate description of his or her physical state and the treatment recommended by the doctor in charge. Once this information is received patients must be able to give the physician their consent to treat before any form of treatment is administered. Without the patient’s informed consent health care professional cannot offer treatment.
Decision Making Capacity
In some cases patients may not have the capacity to comprehend their treatment options , as well as the benefits and risks associated with each. In other circumstances patients might not be able to communicate their choices to health care professionals. When this occurs the patient is considered to lack the appropriate capacity for decision-making. 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, as an example are deemed lacking the ability to make decisions. The patients who are unconscious cannot make decisions on their alone, and external parties must provide consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Owner Consent Form
There are certain elements that are generally included in informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical condition or diagnosis
The treatment suggested by the physician who is acting
The risks and benefits associated with this method of treatment
There are alternative treatments available, along with their risks and benefits
The dangers and advantages with refusing treatment at all
Not only must these items be documented however, they must have a discussion with the patient. In this way, he or can fully comprehend all the details of the scenario and will be able to get immediate answers to any questions that arise.