Parent Guardian Consent Form – Everyone should have the ability to make informed decisions about their healthcare. Medical treatments can be quite risky, therefore patients should be able decide the risks that are known to be present of their body, how it will be treated. So, before medical professionals are allowed to treat patients, they must be given the process of informed consent.
Informed consent constitutes a lawful condition under which a patient has been provided with a full and complete description of his or her physical state and the recommended treatment by the doctor in charge. After receiving this information patients must sign a consent form with the doctor to treat before any form of treatment can be offered. Without the patient’s informed consent any health professional is not permitted to offer treatments.
Decision Making Capacity
In some cases the patients aren’t equipped with the capacity to comprehend their treatment options , as well as the risks/benefits of each. In other cases, patients may not be able communicate their decisions to the health workers. If this happens it is believed that the patient to not possess adequate capacity to make decisions. A family member or court appointed representative could then be able to give informed consent in lieu of the patient.
Patients that are strongly influenced by their emotions, like anxiety or fear, as an example they could be judged as not having the capacity to make decisions. The ones who are asleep clearly cannot make decisions on own. Therefore, outside parties require consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Parent Guardian Consent Form
Certain elements are generally included in informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical condition or diagnosis
The treatment recommended by the physician in charge
The risks and benefits that come with this procedure
Alternative treatments are also available, as well as their potential risks and benefits
The benefits and risks associated with refusing treatment at all
These details must not only be documented They must also communicated with the person receiving the treatment. This way, he she will fully understand all the details of the scenario and receive direct responses to any questions that arise.