State Department Parental Consent Form – Everyone should be able to make educated decisions about their health. The medical procedures can be invasive, so patients should be able decide, based on known risks and the way their bodies will be treated. Therefore, before medical workers are allowed to operate on patients, they must receive the so-called informed consent.
A patient’s informed consent can be a legally binding requirement under which a patient has been provided with a full and complete description of his or her physical condition and the treatment recommended by the acting physician. After receiving this information the patient has to be able to give the physician their consent to treat prior to any form of treatment is provided. Without the patient’s informed consent an health care professional is not permitted to provide treatment.
Decision Making Capacity
In some cases patients lack the ability to comprehend their options in terms of treatment and the risks/benefits associated with each one. In some instances, patients may not be able to explain their decisions to health care professionals. If this happens the patient is said not to have adequate capacity to make decisions. The family member, or court appointed representative then, is allowed to give informed consent in lieu of the patient.
Patients that are strongly influenced by their emotions such as anxiety or fear, for example are deemed not having the capacity to make decisions. Those who are unconscious clearly cannot make decisions on independent of themselves, so outsiders need to consent to treatment instead.
Items in an State Department Parental Consent Form
There are certain elements that are commonly included in informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical diagnosis/condition
The treatment recommended by the doctor in charge
The benefits and risks associated with this treatment
Alternative treatments that are offered, as are their benefits and risks
The potential risks and rewards with refusing any treatment whatsoever
Not only must these items be detailed in documentation They must also discuss the situation with patients. So, he is able to fully comprehend what is happening and will be able to get immediate answers to any issues that may have arisen.