Participant Consent Form – Everybody should be able to make informed decisions regarding their health. Medical procedures can be invasive, so patients should be able to ultimately determine, based on known risks of their body, how it will be treated. Thus, before medical personnel are permitted to treat patients, they have to obtain the process of informed consent.
Informed consent , a requirement in law is the requirement in which patients are provided with specific information regarding the physical condition and the treatment suggested by the treating physician. Once this information is received patients must give the doctor their consent to treat prior to any form of treatment can be given. Without informed consent from the patient, a health care provider is not permitted to provide treatment.
Decision Making Capacity
In certain instances, patients do not possess the capabilities to fully understand their options in terms of treatment and the benefits and risks associated with each one. In other situations, patients may not be able communicate their choices to health professionals. In such situations the patient is said to lack the appropriate capacity to make decisions. An individual from the family or court-appointed representative, can make informed consent on behalf of the patient.
Patients who are strongly affected by their emotions such as anxiety or fear for instance can be deemed to not having the capacity for decision-making. The patients who are unconscious cannot make decisions on their independent of themselves, so outsiders need to consent to treatment instead.
Items in an Participant Consent Form
There are certain elements that are included on all informed consent forms:
The diagnosis or medical condition of the patient.
The treatment that is recommended by the doctor in charge
The risks and the benefits associated with this procedure
Alternative treatments are offered, as are their risks and benefits
The risks and benefits that come with refusing treatment at all
The items should not only be recorded in the documentation however, they must have a discussion with the patient. So, he is able to fully comprehend the specifics of the situation and will receive immediate responses to any concerns that might have arisen.