Short Consent Form – Every person should be able to make educated decisions about their medical care. Medical treatments can be invasive, so patients should be able to determine according to the known risks that their bodies should be treated. Thus, before medical professionals are allowed to operate on patients, they must obtain the so-called informed consent.
Informed consent is a legal requirement that requires that a patient be informed of his or her physical health and the treatment suggested by the treating physician. Once this information is received patients must sign a consent form with the doctor to treat before any form of care can be offered. Without the patient’s informed consent the health professional cannot provide treatments.
Decision Making Capacity
In some instances, patients do not possess the ability to comprehend their options in terms of treatment and the risks and benefits that come with each one. In other instances patients might not be able to effectively communicate their decision to health professionals. Under these circumstances, the patient is said to not possess adequate capacity for decision-making. An individual from the family or court appointed representative could then be able to give informed consent in lieu of the patient.
Patients who are greatly influenced by their emotions – such as anxiety or fear, for example can be deemed to not able to make decisions. The patients who are unconscious are unable to make decisions on their independent of themselves, so outsiders have to give consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Short Consent Form
Certain elements are common to all consent forms:
The patient’s medical condition or diagnosis
The treatment recommended by the doctor in charge
The risks and the benefits associated with this method of treatment
Alternative treatments that are offered, as are their potential risks and benefits
The dangers and advantages with not accepting any treatment whatsoever
The items should not only be detailed in documentation But they also need to have a discussion with the patient. This way, he or is able to fully comprehend what is happening and can get direct answers to any questions that arise.
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