Patient Informed Consent Form – Everyone should be able to make informed choices about their medical care. Treatments for medical conditions can be invasive, so patients should be able, in the end, to decide from the facts about risks as well as their own personal preferences, how they will be treated. Therefore, before medical workers can operate on patients, they must obtain what is known as informed consent.
Informed consent , a requirement in law is the condition in which patients are informed of the condition of their body and the recommended treatment by the acting physician. After receiving this information the patient has to be able to give the physician their consent to treat prior to any form of treatment is given. Without informed consent from the patient the health professional is not allowed to provide treatments.
Decision Making Capacity
In certain instances patients lack the knowledge to fully comprehend their options in terms of treatment and the risks and benefits that come with each one. In other situations patients may not be able to convey their preferences to health workers. In these situations it is believed that the patient to lack the appropriate capacity to make decisions. An individual from the family or court-appointed representative in this case, can provide informed consent instead.
Patients who are greatly influenced by their emotions – such as anxiety or fear, as an example – may be determined as lacking the ability to make decisions. The ones who are asleep clearly cannot make decisions on own, and outside parties have to give consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Patient Informed Consent Form
Certain elements are included on all informed consent forms:
The diagnosis or medical condition of the patient.
The treatment that is recommended by the acting physician
The risks and the benefits associated with this treatment
Alternative treatments that are available, along with their potential risks and benefits
The potential risks and rewards with not accepting any treatment at all
These details must not only be documented in a written document however, they must be discussed with the patient. This way, he will be able to comprehend the details of the situation and can get direct answers to any questions that may arise.
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