Patient Procedure Consent Form – Everyone should be able to make informed choices about their medical care. The medical procedures can be sensitive, so patients must be able decide from the facts about risks of their body, how it will be treated. So, before medical professionals are permitted to operate on patients, they must be given the so-called informed consent.
A patient’s informed consent can be a legally binding condition in which patients are provided with a full and complete description of his or her physical health as well as the treatment that is recommended by the treating physician. After receiving this information patients must give the doctor their consent to treat prior to any form of care can be provided. Without informed consent from the patient, a health care provider is not permitted to provide treatments.
Decision Making Capacity
In some instances the patients aren’t equipped with the skills to comprehend their options regarding treatment, and the risks and benefits that come with each one. In other circumstances patients may not be able to effectively convey their preferences to health professionals. In such situations it is believed that the patient not to have adequate decision making capacity. A family member or court-appointed representative, in this case, can perform informed consent instead.
Patients that are strongly influenced by their emotions, like anxiety or fear, for example – may be determined as lacking the ability to make decisions. People who are not conscious are unable to make decisions on their own, and outside parties must provide consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Patient Procedure Consent Form
Certain elements are commonly included in informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical diagnosis/condition
The recommended treatment is suggested by the physician who is acting
The risks and benefits associated with this procedure
Alternative treatments are also available, as well as their benefits and risks
The dangers and advantages with refusing treatment at all
The items should not only be documented, but they must also communicated with the person receiving the treatment. This way, he or she will fully understand the particulars of the case and receive direct responses to any concerns that might arise.