Applying Informed Consent to the Home Health Care Industry

Abstract

Home health care patients have the legal right to make their own decisions regarding whether to accept or reject health care given them in the home. This is known as informed consent. This article explores what valid informed consent is, its history and origins, the legal requirements for informed consent, and how it should be obtained and documented in the home care setting. Useful checklists, practical tips on obtaining consent, and suggested wording for informed consent forms are provided. The author concludes that documenting a valid informed consent by the patient encourages communication and helps to ensure that the patient's rights have been respected.

Keywords

competence consent,documentation forms individual rights information informed consent legal medical records,records refusal of treatment,rights self-determination,treatment

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