Telehealth Counseling Consent Form – Everyone should have the ability to make informed decisions about their medical care. Medical procedures can be risky, therefore patients should be able to decide the risks that are known to be present and the way their bodies will be treated. Thus, before medical professionals are allowed to be able to treat their patients, they need to receive the so-called informed consent.
A patient’s informed consent can be a legally binding condition under which a patient has been given a complete and accurate description of his or her physical health and the treatment recommended by the acting physician. After receiving this information patients must give the doctor their consent to treat before any form of treatment is administered. Without informed consent from the patient health care professional cannot provide treatment.
Decision Making Capacity
In some cases, patients do not possess the capabilities to fully understand the options for treatment and the risks/benefits associated with each one. In other cases patients may not be able communicate their choices to health professionals. If this happens, the patient is said to lack the necessary capacity for decision-making. If a family member is not present, or court appointed representative will then be permitted to make informed consent on behalf of the patient.
Patients who are greatly influenced by their emotions, such as anxiety or fear, for instance can be deemed to lacking the ability to make decisions. Those who are unconscious clearly can’t make decisions on own, and outside parties must provide consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Telehealth Counseling Consent Form
There are certain elements that are commonly included in informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical conditions/diagnosis
The treatment suggested by the physician who is acting
The risks and benefits associated with this procedure
Alternative treatments that are offered, as are their risks and benefits
The potential risks and rewards with accepting no treatment whatsoever
These items must not only be detailed in documentation, but they must also be discussed with the patient. This way, he or she will fully understand the particulars of the case and will be able to get immediate answers to any concerns that might be arising.
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