Remember, for years and years, it was the doctors
who knew best. They decided if and when patients
needed to know about their own medical condition.
“Informed consent” is a fairly new idea that came
about when patients began demanding the truth
from their doctors.
The idea behind informed consent is that people
need to be able to make medical treatment decisions
for themselves. But, to do so, they must be given
enough information to help them make good
decisions. Doctors and nurses are responsible for
providing this information. For example, let’s say
that Mr. Jones has been admitted to the hospital for
hip replacement surgery. Before Mr. Jones signs an
informed consent document, the doctor and nurse
meet with him to tell him about:
·
His current medical
condition.
·
What will happen if he
decides not to have the
surgery.
·
The procedure for the
hip replacement
surgery.
·
All the risks and all the benefits of the
recommended surgery.
·
Any alternatives to surgery that Mr. Jones might
want to consider.
To give an informed consent, Mr. Jones must:
·
Be given enough information.
·
Understand the information.
·
Be free to say yes or no...without anyone forcing
him into a certain decision.
Informed refusal is the opposite of informed consent.
If, after hearing all the information, Mr. Jones decides
not to have the hip replacement surgery, he would
not sign the informed consent. His doctor may ask
him to sign an informed refusal document to prove
that Mr. Jones made an educated decision.
The rule of informed consent is not followed as
closely in emergency situations. In an emergency
room, for example, doctors can make life or death
decisions for patients based on their best medical
judgment (unless they know a patient has a DNR
order).
·
The idea is that the person named in a HCPOA
will make the same decisions that the patient
would have if he/she were able.
·
Laws regarding HCPOA vary from state to state.
It’s usually recommended to have both a living
will and a HCPOA. The living
will provides the instructions
and the HCPOA designates the
person who will carry out those
instructions.
·
Generally, a Living Will (see next page) is a set of
instructions about end-of-life care. It does not
name a particular person to be in charge of future
medical decisions. For that, a health care power
of attorney (HCPOA) is needed. A HCPOA is a
document that gives authority to another person
to make decisions about medical treatment. It
allows people to turn their decision-making
authority over to anyone they choose.
·
Often, elderly people choose one of their adult
children to be their healthcare power of attorney.
Other people choose a close family friend or even
a lawyer.
Understanding Health Care Power of Attorney
Understanding Informed Consent
Page 5
