patient competency

Question 1

Reasonable grounds exist for determining that a patient is not competent if the patient

Answer 1

a) Appears unable to understand information, or
b) Appears unable to understand the consequences of their decisions, or
c) Appears unable to remember information, or
d) Has attempted suicide, or
e) Has expressed serious thoughts of attempting suicide.

Question 2

If personnel believe the patient is not competent to make informed decisions, treatment may be provided against the patient’s will if:

Answer 2

a) Personnel believe treatment is in the patient’s best interests, and
b) Personnel believe the risks associated with providing treatment are less
than the risks of not providing treatment, and
c) The treatment is not contradicting a valid advance directive.

Question 3

• A competent patient has the right to decline recommendations. In this setting personnel must:

Answer 3

ū Explain the implications of the patient’s decisions to them, and
ū Involve the patient’s family, friends or GP, provided the patient consents to
this and it is appropriate to do so, and
ū Provide the patient with appropriate advice on what to do if they do not
improve, and
ū Ask the patient to sign the ‘patient declined transport’ section of the
documentation, and
ū Fully document their assessment, interventions, recommendations and
interactions, and
ū Provide the patient with a copy of the ePRF or instructions on how to
access a copy of the ePRF.