Informed Consent

1201 Words3 Pages

Abstract
This paper focuses on the legal aspects of communication between the healthcare supplier and the patients and also explores other aspects of communication like consent and the aspects thereof and also discusses the importance of communication in developing better doctor-patient relationship. It also delves into the patients’ rights and discusses theories concerning ways to radically improve communication in healthcare. This paper talks about the potential outcomes of bad, improper or incomplete communication or poor understanding of procedures. It discusses lawsuits filed by patients and complaints from patients, it also focuses on responsibility of information and the adverse effects that might arise from its mishandling
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Informed Consent
Consent can be defined as a medium of mutual communication and cooperation between the patient and the doctor expressed via permission from patient to doctor and permits the doctor to perform in a specific way. Informed consent is an important part of communication between doctor and patient, it is important when a patient has to undergo a surgical procedure and proper documentation is needed/required to confirm consent, most patients go off on information acquired off the media and are not fully educated on the procedures they intend to take which is why patients tend to come to dermatologists and plastic surgeons with unrealistic expectations. So it is incredibly important for doctors to educate the patient extensively about the procedure about to be undertaken. (Satyanarayana Rao, …show more content…

The ethical angle of consent comes from patient autonomy and also involves basic human rights, in this aspect patients have all the rights and freedom to choose the path of treatment and the ability to decide what happens to his/her body and to acquire information on procedure they are about to undergo. No one else can decide the path of treatment for the patient even the doctor only acts as a facilitator of the decision of the patient.(Satyanarayana Rao, 2008)
Legal aspects of communication require an in-depth discussion of treatment options between doctor and patients, the patients are informed about the risks of the procedures. The patients are then presented with proper medical documentation noting their consent. Rates of malpractice claims can be reduced by acquiring informed consent in the office areas rather than the preoperative area.(Bhattacharyya, Yeon, & Harris, 2005)
Requirements of Informed Consent
1. Investigator must obtain the consent or people assigned by the investigator, it must be a competent adult with sound mind. In the case of children, consent should be given by parents or

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