Travel Consent Form – Every person should be able to make informed choices about their health. Treatments for medical conditions can be invasive, so patients should be able decide, based on known risks as well as their own personal preferences, how they will be treated. So, before medical professionals are permitted to be able to treat their patients, they must receive what is known as informed consent.
Informed consent is a legal requirement under which a patient has been provided with detailed information about his or her physical condition and the treatment recommended by the acting physician. After receiving this information, the patient must sign a consent form with the doctor to treat before any form of care can be delivered. Without the patient’s informed consent health care professional is not permitted to provide treatment.
Decision Making Capacity
In some instances patients may not have the ability to comprehend the options for treatment and the risks/benefits associated with each. In other situations patients may not be able explain their decisions to health care professionals. If this happens the patient is said to lack the appropriate capacity for decision-making. The family member, or court-appointed representative will then be permitted to make informed consent on behalf of the patient.
Patients who are heavily influenced by their emotions such as anxiety or fear, for instance could be classified as lacking the ability to make decisions. The patients who are unconscious can’t make decisions on independent of themselves, so outsiders must provide consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Travel Consent Form
Certain elements are common to all consent forms:
The patient’s medical diagnosis/condition
The treatment suggested by the physician in charge
The risks and benefits associated with this procedure
There are alternative treatments available, along with their potential risks and benefits
The benefits and risks associated with refusing any treatment whatsoever
These details must not only be recorded in the documentation However, they should also communicated with the person receiving the treatment. So, he can be fully aware of the details of the situation and can get direct answers to any questions that may arise.