Parent Consent Form Australia – Everybody should be able to make informed decisions about their medical care. Medical treatments can be quite injurious, and patients must be able to decide, based on known risks of their body, how it will be treated. Therefore, before medical workers are allowed to treat patients, they must be given the process of informed consent.
A patient’s informed consent can be a legally binding requirement that requires that a patient be given a complete and accurate description of the physical condition and the recommended treatment by the treating physician. Once this information is received the patient has to be able to give the physician their consent to treat before any form of care is provided. Without the patient’s informed consent any health professional is not permitted to provide treatment.
Decision Making Capacity
In some cases the patients aren’t equipped with the knowledge to fully comprehend their options regarding treatment, and the benefits and risks associated with each one. In other situations patients might not be able to communicate their choices to health professionals. When this occurs it is believed that the patient not to have adequate capacity to make decisions. The family member, or court-appointed representative could then be able to provide informed consent instead.
Patients who are influenced by their emotions such as anxiety or fear, for example they could be judged as not having the capacity for decision-making. Patients who are in the state of unconscious can’t make decisions on own. Therefore, outside parties are required to obtain consent instead.
Items in an Parent Consent Form Australia
There are certain elements that are universally included in informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical condition/diagnosis
The treatment suggested by the doctor in charge
The risks and benefits that come with this procedure
Alternative treatments are also offered, as are their benefits and risks
The risks and benefits that come with accepting no treatment at all
Not only should these details be documented However, they should also have a discussion with the patient. So, he can fully comprehend the specifics of the situation and will be able to get immediate answers to any issues that may arise.