Proxy Access Consent Form – Everybody should be able to make informed choices about their healthcare. Medical procedures can be sensitive, so patients must be able decide the risks that are known to be present and the way their bodies will be treated. In order to ensure that medical professionals are allowed to operate on patients, they need to receive what is known as informed consent.
A patient’s informed consent can be a legally binding condition in which patients are provided with detailed information about the condition of their body and the treatment suggested by the physician who is acting as the patient’s physician. After receiving this information the patient has to provide the physician with consent to treat prior to any form or treatment can be administered. Without informed consent from the patient any health professional is not permitted to offer treatment.
Decision Making Capacity
In some instances the patients aren’t equipped with the capacity to comprehend the options for treatment and the benefits and risks associated with each one. In other instances patients might not be able to effectively communicate their choices to health professionals. In such situations it is believed that the patient to lack the appropriate decision making capacity. The family member, or court appointed representative could then be able to provide informed consent instead.
Patients who are strongly affected by their emotions such as anxiety or fear, as an example – may be determined as not having the capacity to make decisions. Patients who are in the state of unconscious can’t make decisions on alone, and external parties require consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Proxy Access Consent Form
There are certain elements that are included on all informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical condition/diagnosis
The treatment recommended by the medical professional in charge
The risks and the benefits associated with this treatment
There are alternative treatments available, along with their risks and benefits
The potential risks and rewards of refusing treatment at all
These details must not only be documented in a written document But they also need to communicated with the person receiving the treatment. In this way, he or can fully comprehend the details of the situation and will be able to get immediate answers to any queries that might have arisen.