Patient Testimonial Consent Form – Everybody should be able to make informed choices about their health. Medical treatments can be injurious, and patients must be able to decide the risks that are known to be present that their bodies should be treated. In order to ensure that medical professionals are permitted to be able to treat their patients, they need to receive the so-called informed consent.
A patient’s informed consent can be a legally binding condition under which a patient is provided with detailed information about the physical condition as well as the treatment that is recommended by the physician who is acting as the patient’s physician. After receiving this information the patient must give the doctor their consent to treat before any form of treatment is provided. Without informed consent from the patient the health professional is not permitted to provide treatments.
Decision Making Capacity
In certain situations the patients aren’t equipped with the knowledge to fully comprehend their treatment options and the risks/benefits associated with each one. In other circumstances patients may not be able to communicate their decision to health professionals. If this happens, the patient is said to not possess adequate decision making capacity. The family member, or court-appointed representative will then be permitted to take over informed consent.
Patients who are heavily influenced by their emotions – such as anxiety or fear, for example – may be determined as not able to make decisions. Patients who are in the state of unconscious cannot make decisions on alone, and external parties require consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Patient Testimonial Consent Form
Certain elements are commonly included in informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical diagnosis/condition
The procedure recommended by the doctor in charge
The risks and advantages associated with this procedure
Alternative treatments are also available, as well as their benefits and risks
The risks and benefits associated of refusing treatment at all
Not only should these details be recorded in the documentation They must also been discussed by the patient. This way, he or she will fully understand what is happening and get straight answers to any issues that may have arisen.