Therapy Informed Consent Form Template – Everyone should be able to make informed choices about their healthcare. Treatments for medical conditions can be sensitive, so patients must be able, in the end, to decide from the facts about risks as well as their own personal preferences, how they will be treated. Therefore, before medical workers can treat patients, they have to obtain the so-called informed consent.
Informed consent constitutes a lawful condition where a patient is provided with specific information regarding the physical condition and the treatment recommended by the physician in charge. Once this information is received the patient is required to offer the physician consent to treat prior to any form of treatment is administered. Without the patient’s informed consent the health professional cannot offer treatments.
Decision Making Capacity
In certain situations patients don’t have the knowledge to fully comprehend their options in terms of treatment and the risks/benefits of each. In other instances patients may not be able to explain their decisions to health workers. If this happens, the patient is said not to have adequate capacity for decision-making. If a family member is not present, or court-appointed representative could then be able to make informed consent on behalf of the patient.
Patients who are greatly influenced by their emotions – such as anxiety or fear, for example – may be determined as not having the capacity to make decisions. Patients who are in the state of unconscious cannot take decisions on their alone, and external parties must provide consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Therapy Informed Consent Form Template
There are certain elements that are common to all consent forms:
The diagnosis or medical condition of the patient.
The recommended treatment is suggested by the medical professional in charge
The risks and benefits associated with this procedure
There are alternative treatments available, as well as their risks and benefits
The risks and benefits that come with accepting no treatment whatsoever
The items should not only be detailed in documentation, but they must also communicated with the person receiving the treatment. This way, he will be able to comprehend the specifics of the situation and receive direct responses to any questions that may arise.