Video Consent Form – Everybody should be able to make informed choices about their medical care. Medical treatments can be quite demanding, and therefore patients should be able to determine in light of known risks as well as their own personal preferences, how they will be treated. In order to ensure that medical professionals are permitted to be able to treat their patients, they must obtain what is known as informed consent.
A patient’s informed consent can be a legally binding condition where a patient is provided with a full and complete description of his or her physical state and the treatment suggested by the doctor in charge. Once this information is received patients must sign a consent form with the doctor to treat prior to any form of care is given. Without the patient’s informed consent any health professional is not permitted to provide treatments.
Decision Making Capacity
In some cases the patients aren’t equipped with the ability to comprehend the options for treatment and the risks and benefits that come with each one. In other cases patients might not be able to effectively convey their preferences to health workers. In these situations the patient is considered to not possess adequate capacity to make decisions. Family members or a court-appointed representative, could then be able to provide informed consent instead.
Patients who are influenced by their emotions – such as anxiety or fear, as an example they could be judged as not able to make decisions. Patients who are in the state of unconscious cannot take decisions on their alone, and external parties have to give consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Video Consent Form
Certain elements are universally included in informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical conditions/diagnosis
The recommended treatment is suggested by the physician in charge
The risks and benefits associated with this procedure
There are alternative treatments available, as well as their risks and benefits
The benefits and risks associated with refusing any treatment whatsoever
These details must not only be documented in a written document They must also communicated with the person receiving the treatment. In this way, he or will be able to comprehend what is happening and will receive immediate responses to any questions that may have arisen.