Informed consent is a fundamental step in the process of providing quality, ethical medical treatment.
Patients have the right to ask questions of their healthcare provider to fully understand the risks and benefits of the treatment being offered, and any alternatives that may exist. This process fosters shared decision-making and ensures patients are able to make considered decisions about their own healthcare.
According to the American Medical Association, “in seeking a patient’s informed consent (or the consent of the patient’s surrogate if the patient lacks decision-making capacity or declines to participate in making decisions), physicians should:
- Assess the patient’s ability to understand relevant medical information and the implications of treatment alternatives and to make an independent, voluntary decision.
- Present relevant information accurately and sensitively, in keeping with the patient’s preferences for receiving medical information. The physician should include information about:
- The diagnosis (when known)
- The nature and purpose of recommended interventions
- The burdens, risks, and expected benefits of all options, including forgoing treatment
- Document the informed consent conversation and the patient’s (or surrogate’s) decision in the medical record in some manner. When the patient/surrogate has provided specific written consent, the consent form should be included in the record.”
If you are considering prescribing the treatments described in the FLCCC protocols, you may want to consider creating an informed consent form for your patients. Below we have provided a template you can download and customize for your own use.
