Unaccompanied Minor Travel Consent Form – Everyone should be able to make educated decisions about their medical care. Treatments for medical conditions can be sensitive, so patients must be able decide according to the known risks of their body, how it will be treated. Thus, before medical professionals are allowed to operate on patients, they have to obtain the so-called informed consent.
Informed consent constitutes a lawful condition where a patient is provided with a full and complete description of the physical condition and the treatment suggested by the doctor in charge. Once this information is received the patient must provide the physician with consent to treat before any form or treatment can be given. Without the patient’s informed consent, a health care provider is not permitted to offer treatment.
Decision Making Capacity
In certain situations patients lack the skills to comprehend their treatment options and the potential risks and benefits associated with each one. In other cases patients might not be able to communicate their decision to health care professionals. Under these circumstances the patient is considered not to possess the proper decision making capacity. Family members or a court-appointed representative, will then be permitted to give informed consent in lieu of the patient.
Patients that are strongly influenced by their emotions, such as anxiety or fear, for example could be classified as not having the capacity for decision-making. Those who are unconscious clearly cannot make decisions on their independent of themselves, so outsiders are required to obtain consent instead.
Items in an Unaccompanied Minor Travel Consent Form
There are certain elements that are included on all informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical conditions/diagnosis
The treatment suggested by the physician in charge
The risks and advantages associated with this method of treatment
Alternative treatments are also available, along with their benefits and risks
The potential risks and rewards with refusing any treatment whatsoever
These items must not only be documented however, they must been discussed by the patient. So, he she will fully understand all the details of the scenario and can get direct answers to any issues that may be arising.