VAC Consent Form – Every person should be able to make informed choices about their healthcare. Treatments for medical conditions can be invasive, so patients should be able to determine according to the known risks, how their bodies will be treated. So, before medical professionals are allowed to provide treatment to patients they have to obtain the so-called informed consent.
The informed consent requirement is legal condition under which a patient has been provided with specific information regarding the condition of their body and the recommended treatment by the physician who is acting as the patient’s physician. Once this information is received patients must be able to give the physician their consent to treat prior to any form of care can be offered. Without the patient’s informed consent, a health care provider is not allowed to provide treatment.
Decision Making Capacity
In some cases patients don’t have the ability to comprehend their options in terms of treatment and the risks/benefits associated with each. In other instances patients might not be able to effectively convey their preferences to health workers. In these situations the patient is said not to have adequate capacity for decision-making. An individual from the family or court-appointed representative can provide informed consent instead.
Patients that are strongly influenced by their emotions – anxiety or fear, for instance could be classified as lacking the ability to make decisions. The ones who are asleep clearly are unable to make decisions on their independent of themselves, so outsiders require consent for treatment instead.
Items in an VAC Consent Form
There are certain elements that are common to all consent forms:
The patient’s medical condition/diagnosis
The procedure recommended by the acting physician
The risks and the benefits associated with this treatment
Alternative treatments are readily available, as well as their risks and benefits
The risks and benefits that come with refusing any treatment at all
These details must not only be documented They must also communicated with the person receiving the treatment. This way, he can be fully aware of the particulars of the case and can get direct answers to any queries that might have arisen.