If you have gone through these steps and decide to get the treatment or procedure, you are usually
asked to sign a paper called a consent form. The completed and signed consent form is a legal
document that lets your doctor go ahead with the treatment plan. The consent form names the
procedure or treatment to be done. The rest of the form may be very general, stating only that you
have been told about the risks of the treatment and other available options. Or it may be very
detailed, outlining what the risks and other options are. Depending on how it’s presented, you may
sign for one certain procedure or treatment, or you may give approval for any treatments and
procedures that the health provider decides are needed.