Informed Consent Revisited: What is Expected of Providers
Informed consent has generated many articles, legal opinions and court decisions, yet it is still a misunderstood topic. Failure to obtain informed consent is a common allegation in medical malpractice cases involving surgery, invasive diagnostic studies and even medications. In some cases, defendants are absolved of negligence, but are held liable for not adequately disclosing the material risks of treatment which prevented the patient from giving an informed consent. Many physicians think informed consent is something they give to patients (“I consented the patient.”). In fact, doctors provide information, but obtain consent from their patients by having a full discussion...
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