Written Consent Form – Everybody should be able to make informed choices about their healthcare. Medical treatments can be quite invasive, so patients should be able decide according to the known risks that their bodies should be treated. Thus, before medical personnel are permitted to administer treatments to patients, they need to receive the so-called informed consent.
Informed consent , a requirement in law is the requirement under which a patient has been provided with specific information regarding his or her physical state and the treatment recommended by the acting physician. After receiving this information, the patient must sign a consent form with the doctor to treat prior to any form of care can be administered. Without the patient’s informed consent the health professional is not permitted to provide treatments.
Decision Making Capacity
In some instances the patients aren’t equipped with the ability to comprehend their options regarding treatment, and the potential risks and benefits associated with each. In other instances patients may not be able to explain their decisions to health care professionals. Under these circumstances patients are said not to possess the proper capacity for decision-making. If a family member is not present, or court-appointed representative could then be able to provide informed consent instead.
Patients who are heavily influenced by their emotions, like anxiety or fear, for example can be deemed to not possessing decision making capacity. People who are not conscious can’t make decisions on independent of themselves, so outsiders require consent for treatment instead.
Items in an Written Consent Form
There are certain elements that are common to all consent forms:
The patient’s medical condition or diagnosis
The treatment recommended by the medical professional in charge
The benefits and risks associated with this treatment
Alternative treatments are also available, along with their benefits and risks
The risks and benefits associated of refusing treatment at all
The items should not only be documented in a written document They must also be discussed with the patient. This way, he or will be able to comprehend all the details of the scenario and will be able to get immediate answers to any queries that might have arisen.
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