Queensland Health Generic Consent Form – Everybody should be able to make informed decisions regarding their healthcare. Medical procedures can be invasive, so patients should be able to determine according to the known risks that their bodies should be treated. In order to ensure that medical professionals are allowed to treat patients, they have to obtain the so-called informed consent.
Informed consent is a legal condition where a patient is provided with a full and complete description of the physical condition and the recommended treatment by the physician who is acting as the patient’s physician. Once this information is received patients must be able to give the physician their consent to treat before any form of care is administered. Without the patient’s informed consent health care professional is not allowed to provide treatment.
Decision Making Capacity
In certain instances patients don’t have the skills to comprehend the options for treatment and the benefits and risks associated with each. In other cases patients may not be able to effectively convey their preferences to health workers. In such situations patients are said to not possess adequate capacity for decision-making. A family member or court appointed representative can perform informed consent instead.
Patients who are heavily influenced by their emotions – anxiety or fear, as an example – may be determined as not having the capacity for decision-making. Patients who are in the state of unconscious can’t make decisions on alone, and external parties have to give consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Queensland Health Generic Consent Form
There are certain elements that are included on all informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical condition/diagnosis
The treatment that is recommended by the doctor in charge
The risks and advantages associated with this method of treatment
Alternative treatments are offered, as are their risks and benefits
The risks and benefits that come of refusing treatment at all
These details must not only be documented in a written document They must also communicated with the person receiving the treatment. In this way, he or is able to fully comprehend what is happening and will be able to get immediate answers to any questions that be arising.
Download Queensland Health Generic Consent Form
Gallery of Queensland Health Generic Consent Form
