Patient Enrollment And Consent Form – Everybody should be able to make informed decisions about their healthcare. Medical procedures can be demanding, and therefore patients should be able, in the end, to decide in light of known risks of their body, how it will be treated. So, before medical professionals can be able to treat their patients, they have to obtain the so-called informed consent.
Informed consent is a legal condition under which a patient is given a complete and accurate description 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 is required to sign a consent form with the doctor to treat before any form or treatment can be administered. Without informed consent from the patient, a health care provider cannot provide treatments.
Decision Making Capacity
In some instances patients may not have the capacity to comprehend their options regarding treatment, and the risks/benefits of each. In other cases, patients may not be able to effectively communicate their decision to health workers. If this happens it is believed that the patient to not possess adequate capacity for decision-making. A family member or court-appointed representative then, is allowed to give informed consent in lieu 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 to make decisions. The ones who are asleep clearly cannot make decisions on own, and outside parties are required to obtain consent instead.
Items in an Patient Enrollment And Consent Form
Certain elements are universally included in informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical diagnosis/condition
The treatment recommended by the physician who is acting
The risks and the benefits associated with this treatment
Alternative treatments that are offered, as are their benefits and risks
The dangers and advantages of refusing treatment whatsoever
Not only must these items be recorded in the documentation But they also need to have a discussion with the patient. This way, he can be fully aware of the particulars of the case and get straight answers to any questions that may be arising.