Sample Email Consent Form – Everyone should be able to make informed choices about their health. Medical treatments can be quite demanding, and therefore patients should be able to determine from the facts about risks as well as their own personal preferences, how they will be treated. In order to ensure that medical professionals are permitted to provide treatment to patients they must receive the process of informed consent.
Informed consent is a legal condition in which patients are given a complete and accurate description of his or her physical condition and the recommended treatment by the doctor in charge. Once this information is received the patient is required to provide the physician with consent to treat before any form of treatment is delivered. Without the patient’s informed consent any health professional cannot provide treatment.
Decision Making Capacity
In certain situations the patients aren’t equipped with the capabilities to fully understand their treatment options and the risks/benefits of each. In other situations patients may not be able to explain their decisions to health care professionals. Under these circumstances it is believed that the patient not to possess the proper decision making capacity. A family member or court-appointed representative in this case, can take over informed consent.
Patients who are influenced by their emotions, like anxiety or fear, for instance they could be judged as not having the capacity to make decisions. The patients who are unconscious can’t make decisions on independent of themselves, so outsiders have to give consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Sample Email Consent Form
Certain elements are universally included in informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical condition or diagnosis
The treatment suggested by the medical professional in charge
The risks and advantages associated with this method of treatment
Alternative treatments are readily offered, as are their potential risks and benefits
The risks and benefits associated with refusing any treatment at all
Not only must these items be recorded in the documentation They must also have a discussion with the patient. In this way, he or will be able to comprehend the particulars of the case and will be able to get immediate answers to any questions that may arise.