Walk And Talk Therapy Consent Form – Every person should be able to make informed decisions regarding their healthcare. Medical treatments can be quite demanding, and therefore patients should be able decide, based on known risks, how their bodies 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.
Informed consent constitutes a lawful condition under which a patient is informed of his or her physical state as well as the treatment that is recommended by the acting physician. After receiving this information patients must sign a consent form with the doctor to treat prior to any form of treatment is offered. Without the patient’s informed consent the health professional is not permitted to provide treatments.
Decision Making Capacity
In certain instances patients lack the skills to comprehend their treatment options , as well as the benefits and risks associated with each one. In other cases, patients may not be able to effectively explain their decisions to health care professionals. When this occurs it is believed that the patient to lack the necessary capacity to make decisions. The family member, or court-appointed representative can provide informed consent instead.
Patients who are greatly influenced by their emotions, such as anxiety or fear, for example can be deemed to not having the capacity to make decisions. People who are not conscious cannot make decisions on alone, and external parties need to consent to treatment instead.
Items in an Walk And Talk Therapy Consent Form
Certain elements are common to all consent forms:
The patient’s medical conditions/diagnosis
The treatment suggested by the doctor in charge
The benefits and risks associated with this method of treatment
Alternative treatments that are offered, as are their benefits and risks
The potential risks and rewards with refusing any treatment at all
Not only must these items be documented in a written document however, they must communicated with the person receiving the treatment. This way, he is able to fully comprehend all the details of the scenario and can get direct answers to any issues that may be arising.