Surgery Consent Form – Everyone should be able to make informed decisions regarding their healthcare. Medical treatments can be demanding, and therefore patients should be able, in the end, to decide from the facts about risks as well as their own personal preferences, how they will be treated. Thus, before medical professionals are permitted to be able to treat their patients, they must obtain the so-called informed consent.
Informed consent constitutes a lawful condition under which a patient has been informed of his or her physical condition and the recommended treatment by the acting physician. After receiving this information, the patient must be able to give the physician their consent to treat prior to any form of care is given. Without informed consent from the patient an health care professional is not allowed to provide treatments.
Decision Making Capacity
In certain situations patients may not have the skills to comprehend their options in terms of treatment and the benefits and risks associated with each one. In other instances, patients may not be able to effectively convey their preferences to health care professionals. In such situations it is believed that the patient not to possess the proper decision making capacity. Family members or a court-appointed representative in this case, can perform informed consent instead.
Patients who are strongly affected by their emotions – anxiety or fear for instance could be classified as not having the capacity for decision-making. People who are not conscious cannot take decisions on their alone, and external parties have to give consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Surgery Consent Form
Certain elements are common to all consent forms:
The patient’s medical condition/diagnosis
The treatment that is recommended by the physician in charge
The risks and advantages associated with this procedure
Alternative treatments are available, along with their risks and benefits
The risks and benefits that come of refusing treatment at all
These details must not only be recorded in the documentation However, they should also been discussed by the patient. This way, he or can fully comprehend the details of the situation and can get direct answers to any issues that may be arising.