Resident Consent Form – Everyone should be able to make informed choices about their medical care. Medical procedures can be invasive, so patients should be able to decide, based on known risks that their bodies should be treated. So, before medical professionals are permitted to treat patients, they must obtain the process of informed consent.
The informed consent requirement is legal requirement under which a patient has been provided with specific information regarding his or her physical health and the recommended treatment by the physician in charge. After receiving this information patients must sign a consent form with the doctor to treat prior to any form of treatment is provided. Without informed consent from the patient the health professional is not permitted to offer treatments.
Decision Making Capacity
In certain situations patients lack the skills to comprehend their treatment options and the risks/benefits associated with each. In other circumstances patients may not be able communicate their decision to health workers. If this happens the patient is said not to possess the proper capacity to make decisions. The family member, or court appointed representative will then be permitted to give informed consent in lieu of the patient.
Patients that are strongly influenced by their emotions, like anxiety or fear, for example can be deemed to not having the capacity for decision-making. Patients who are in the state of unconscious can’t make decisions on alone, and external parties need to consent to treatment instead.
Items in an Resident Consent Form
Certain elements are universally included in informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical diagnosis/condition
The treatment recommended by the medical professional in charge
The risks and advantages associated with this treatment
There are alternative treatments available, along with their potential risks and benefits
The potential risks and rewards with refusing treatment whatsoever
These details must not only be documented in a written document however, they must been discussed by the patient. This way, he or she will fully understand what is happening and receive direct responses to any queries that might have arisen.
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