Testimonial Consent Form Template Uk – Everyone should have the ability to make educated decisions about their medical care. Medical procedures can be invasive, so patients should be able to decide, based on known risks of their body, how it will be treated. Thus, before medical personnel are allowed to treat patients, they must receive the so-called informed consent.
Informed consent is a legal requirement that requires that a patient be provided with detailed information about the condition of their body and the treatment suggested by the doctor in charge. After receiving this information the patient is required to be able to give the physician their consent to treat before any form of care can be offered. Without informed consent from the patient the health professional is not permitted to offer treatment.
Decision Making Capacity
In some cases, patients do not possess the knowledge to fully comprehend the options for treatment and the benefits and risks associated with each. In other circumstances, patients may not be able communicate their decision to health care professionals. When this occurs the patient is said to lack the necessary capacity for decision-making. If a family member is not present, or court appointed representative then, is allowed to take over informed consent.
Patients that are strongly influenced by their emotions, like anxiety or fear, for example they could be judged as not having the capacity to make decisions. Patients who are in the state of unconscious cannot make decisions on their independent of themselves, so outsiders must provide consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Testimonial Consent Form Template Uk
Certain elements are generally included in informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical condition or diagnosis
The procedure recommended by the doctor in charge
The benefits and risks associated with this method of treatment
There are alternative treatments offered, as are their potential risks and benefits
The risks and benefits that come with refusing treatment at all
These details must not only be recorded in the patient’s medical records however, they must been discussed by the patient. This way, he she will fully understand what is happening and can get direct answers to any questions that arise.