Medical treatment is the use of medicines, surgery and other techniques to cure illness or treat injury. Doctors may recommend tests and procedures to diagnose your condition, but only you can decide whether or not to agree to them. You should receive complete information about the benefits, risks and alternatives of any medical treatment recommended to you. You should also be able to discuss your preferences and values with your doctors before making a decision.
Medical treatments are sometimes used to manage pain or discomfort. The most common types of medical treatments are prescription medications and surgeries. Other medical treatments include radiation, acupuncture, dialysis and physical therapy. Some medical treatments are based on research evidence, while others are used to treat individual patients. In either case, the evidence that a treatment works should be clear and detailed. Informed consent is an agreement you give to your doctor that allows him or her to perform a medical procedure on you only after discussing all benefits, risks and alternatives of the treatment.
Advanced industrial countries with universal health care systems have laws that guarantee access to medical treatment regardless of your ability to pay for it. These systems use public funds to cover the cost of medical treatment through a single-payer system, compulsory private or cooperative insurance, or some combination of these. Some of these systems also provide financial support for medical education and research.
Those who are ill or injured often want to be treated as soon as possible. The health care providers who work in these systems are usually trained to offer treatment without delay and to provide as much relief from pain as possible. However, the cost of providing treatment quickly can strain even the largest systems.
In some cases, it may be necessary to provide health care without a patient’s permission. This can happen when a person loses capacity, such as after an accident or as the result of being knocked unconscious during surgery. The person’s family can make this decision if they are legally allowed to do so.
If you are a minor, your parents can make health care decisions for you. But once you reach adulthood, it’s important to take control of your own health care decisions. Having someone you trust to make these decisions for you can help, whether that’s a healthcare agent you name in your advance directive or a surrogate appointed by the courts. These people must follow your Health Care Instructions and, if no instructions exist, your general wishes about treatment, including stopping treatment. They must also consider any views you express through a surrogate or health care agent about treatment. In addition, they must follow your legal rights as stated in the state where you live. For example, in California, you can request an independent medical review or complaint if your health plan does not approve treatment that you and your doctor think is necessary. This is called a “reconsideration”.