Waiver Consent Form – Everyone should have the ability to make informed decisions regarding their healthcare. Treatments for medical conditions can be risky, therefore patients should be able decide from the facts about risks that their bodies should be treated. Thus, before medical personnel are allowed to operate on patients, they must obtain what is known as informed consent.
A patient’s informed consent can be a legally binding condition under which a patient is given a complete and accurate description of his or her physical state and the recommended treatment by the doctor in charge. After receiving this information the patient is required to give the doctor their consent to treat before any form of care is offered. Without informed consent from the patient, a health care provider is not allowed to provide treatment.
Decision Making Capacity
In certain situations patients don’t have the skills to comprehend their treatment options and the risks and benefits that come with each one. In other instances patients may not be able to communicate their decision to health care professionals. In such situations, the patient is said to lack the appropriate capacity to make decisions. The family member, or court appointed representative could then be able to make informed consent on behalf of the patient.
Patients who are greatly influenced by their emotions, like anxiety or fear, for example they could be judged as not having the capacity to make decisions. Those who are unconscious clearly are unable to make decisions on their independent of themselves, so outsiders require consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Waiver Consent Form
There are certain elements that are commonly included in informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical diagnosis/condition
The treatment that is recommended by the acting physician
The benefits and risks associated with this method of treatment
Alternative treatments that are available, along with their potential risks and benefits
The risks and benefits associated with not accepting any treatment whatsoever
The items should not only be documented however, they must communicated with the person receiving the treatment. In this way, he or is able to fully comprehend all the details of the scenario and receive direct responses to any issues that may have arisen.
Download Waiver Consent Form
Gallery of Waiver Consent Form
