Project Consent Form – Everyone should be able to make informed choices about their healthcare. The medical procedures can be sensitive, so patients must be able to ultimately determine, based on known risks, how their bodies will be treated. Therefore, before medical workers are allowed to provide treatment to patients they must receive what is known as informed consent.
Informed consent , a requirement in law is the condition under which a patient is informed of his or her physical state and the treatment recommended by the treating physician. Once this information is received the patient is required to give the doctor their consent to treat prior to any form of treatment is given. Without the patient’s informed consent any health professional is not permitted to offer treatments.
Decision Making Capacity
In some instances, patients do not possess the skills to comprehend the options for treatment and the risks/benefits associated with each. In some instances patients may not be able communicate their choices to health professionals. Under these circumstances it is believed that the patient to not possess adequate capacity for decision-making. If a family member is not present, or court-appointed representative, will then be permitted to perform informed consent instead.
Patients who are influenced by their emotions, such as anxiety or fear, as an example they could be judged as lacking the ability to make decisions. People who are not conscious are unable to make decisions on their independent of themselves, so outsiders have to give consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Project Consent Form
There are certain elements that are generally included in informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical condition or diagnosis
The treatment that is recommended by the physician in charge
The risks and advantages associated with this treatment
Alternative treatments are offered, as are their potential risks and benefits
The risks and benefits that come with accepting no treatment at all
Not only should these details be detailed in documentation, but they must also be discussed with the patient. This way, he is able to fully comprehend what is happening and will be able to get immediate answers to any questions that may have arisen.