Taxpayer Consent Form – Everyone should be able to make educated decisions about their healthcare. Medical treatments can be sensitive, so patients must be able to decide according to the known risks, how their bodies will be treated. Thus, before medical personnel can operate on patients, they must be given what is known as informed consent.
The informed consent requirement is legal condition under which a patient has been provided with a full and complete description of his or her physical health and the treatment recommended by the treating physician. After receiving this information the patient has to sign a consent form with the doctor to treat before any form or treatment can be provided. Without informed consent from the patient any health professional is not permitted to provide treatments.
Decision Making Capacity
In certain situations the patients aren’t equipped with the knowledge to fully comprehend their treatment options and the risks/benefits of each. In other cases, patients may not be able to effectively communicate their decisions to the health professionals. In these situations it is believed that the patient to lack the necessary capacity to make decisions. Family members or a court-appointed representative, can give informed consent in lieu of the patient.
Patients who are strongly affected by their emotions – anxiety or fear, as an example – may be determined as not able to make decisions. The ones who are asleep clearly can’t make decisions on alone, and external parties must provide consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Taxpayer Consent Form
There are certain elements that are common to all consent forms:
The patient’s medical diagnosis/condition
The recommended treatment is suggested by the physician who is acting
The benefits and risks associated with this procedure
Alternative treatments are readily available, as well as their potential risks and benefits
The risks and benefits associated with refusing treatment whatsoever
Not only must these items be documented in a written document however, they must communicated with the person receiving the treatment. This way, he or she will fully understand the details of the situation and will receive immediate responses to any questions that be arising.