Restraint Consent Form Format – Every person should be able to make informed choices about their medical care. Medical treatments can be risky, therefore patients should be able to decide in light of known risks and the way their bodies will be treated. Therefore, before medical workers are allowed to treat patients, they need to receive the so-called informed consent.
A patient’s informed consent can be a legally binding requirement where a patient is informed of the physical condition as well as the treatment that is recommended by the acting physician. Once this information is received, the patient must offer the physician consent to treat before any form of care can be administered. Without the patient’s informed consent health care professional cannot provide treatment.
Decision Making Capacity
In some instances patients don’t have the ability to comprehend their treatment options and the potential risks and benefits associated with each. In some instances, patients may not be able to convey their preferences to health professionals. In such situations the patient is said to not possess adequate capacity for decision-making. A family member or court-appointed representative then, is allowed to give informed consent in lieu of the patient.
Patients who are greatly influenced by their emotions – such as anxiety or fear, for example – may be determined as not possessing decision making capacity. Those who are unconscious clearly can’t make decisions on own, and outside parties have to give consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Restraint Consent Form Format
Certain elements are generally included in informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical condition/diagnosis
The treatment recommended by the physician in charge
The benefits and risks associated with this treatment
Alternative treatments are offered, as are their potential risks and benefits
The risks and benefits that come with not accepting any treatment whatsoever
These items must not only be recorded in the documentation They must also 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 questions that arise.