Respondent Consent Form – Everybody should be able to make informed decisions about their health. Medical treatments can be quite demanding, and therefore patients should be able decide in light of known risks and the way their bodies will be treated. Therefore, before medical workers are allowed to administer treatments to patients, they must obtain what is known as informed consent.
The informed consent requirement is legal requirement under which a patient has been given a complete and accurate description of his or her physical health and the treatment recommended by the treating physician. Once this information is received the patient must sign a consent form with the doctor to treat before any form or treatment can be administered. Without the patient’s informed consent the health professional is not permitted to provide treatment.
Decision Making Capacity
In certain instances, patients do not possess the ability to comprehend their treatment options and the benefits and risks associated with each. In other circumstances, patients may not be able explain their decisions to health workers. When this occurs it is believed that the patient to lack the appropriate capacity for decision-making. If a family member is not present, or court-appointed representative, can perform informed consent instead.
Patients who are greatly influenced by their emotions, like anxiety or fear, for example – may be determined as not possessing decision making capacity. The patients who are unconscious cannot make decisions on their own. Therefore, outside parties need to consent to treatment instead.
Items in an Respondent Consent Form
There are certain elements that are included on all informed consent forms:
The diagnosis or medical condition of the patient.
The procedure recommended by the doctor in charge
The risks and the benefits associated with this treatment
Alternative treatments are also available, as well as their risks and benefits
The risks and benefits associated with refusing treatment at all
Not only must these items be detailed in documentation They must also be discussed with the patient. This way, he or can fully comprehend the specifics of the situation and will receive immediate responses to any questions that may arise.
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