Virtual Consent Form – Everyone should have the ability to make informed choices about their medical care. Medical treatments can be quite sensitive, so patients must be able to determine, based on known risks that their bodies should be treated. Thus, before medical personnel can treat patients, they must be given the so-called informed consent.
Informed consent constitutes a lawful condition in which patients are provided with detailed information about the physical condition and the recommended treatment by the physician who is acting as the patient’s physician. Once this information is received the patient is required to be able to give the physician their consent to treat before any form of treatment can be delivered. Without informed consent from the patient, a health care provider cannot provide treatments.
Decision Making Capacity
In certain situations patients lack the skills to comprehend the options for treatment and the potential risks and benefits associated with each one. In other situations patients might not be able to explain their decisions to health care professionals. Under these circumstances the patient is said to lack the appropriate capacity to make decisions. If a family member is not present, or court-appointed representative, could then be able to take over informed consent.
Patients that are strongly influenced by their emotions – such as anxiety or fear, for example they could be judged as not having the capacity to make decisions. People who are not conscious cannot make decisions on their independent of themselves, so outsiders are required to obtain consent instead.
Items in an Virtual Consent Form
There are certain elements that are generally included in informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical conditions/diagnosis
The recommended treatment is suggested by the medical professional in charge
The risks and the benefits associated with this treatment
Alternative treatments that are available, as well as their risks and benefits
The risks and benefits associated with accepting no treatment at all
The items should not only be documented in a written document However, they should also been discussed by the patient. In this way, he or is able to fully comprehend the particulars of the case and receive direct responses to any issues that may be arising.
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