Sample Informed Consent Form For Surgery – Everybody should be able to make informed choices about their healthcare. Medical procedures can be sensitive, so patients must be able to determine the risks that are known to be present as well as their own personal preferences, how they will be treated. Therefore, before medical workers are permitted to treat patients, they must receive the so-called informed consent.
Informed consent constitutes a lawful requirement that requires that a patient be provided with detailed information about his or her physical state and the treatment suggested by the doctor in charge. After receiving this information the patient must offer the physician consent to treat before any form or treatment can be delivered. Without informed consent from the patient an health care professional is not allowed to provide treatment.
Decision Making Capacity
In certain instances patients may not have the capacity to comprehend their treatment options and the risks and benefits that come with each one. In other situations, patients may not be able to effectively communicate their choices to health workers. In these situations it is believed that the patient not to have adequate capacity to make decisions. If a family member is not present, or court-appointed representative, then, is allowed to give informed consent in lieu of the patient.
Patients that are strongly influenced by their emotions – anxiety or fear, as an example are deemed not having the capacity for decision-making. People who are not conscious are unable to make decisions on their independent of themselves, so outsiders must provide consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Sample Informed Consent Form For Surgery
There are certain elements that are included on all informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical condition/diagnosis
The procedure recommended by the physician who is acting
The risks and benefits associated with this treatment
Alternative treatments are readily available, as well as their risks and benefits
The potential risks and rewards with refusing any treatment whatsoever
The items should not only be detailed in documentation, but they must also communicated with the person receiving the treatment. This way, he or she will fully understand the particulars of the case and can get direct answers to any issues that may have arisen.