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The Pros And Cons Of Informed Consent

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Informed consent is a critical process that places professionalism and legalism into practice in the healthcare setting. It is an approval by the patient to receive care or treatment, while having full knowledge of the benefits or risks that may accompany it, and is generally accompanied by the patient’s signature if consent is given (Black & Chitty, 2014). Often times, informed consent is assumed to be the physical document the patient signs, however, it is actually the legal practice that provides an opportunity for the patient to gain a complete understanding of the procedure before deciding to consent to it or not (Black & Chitty, 2014). There are three main requirements of informed consent, which include: it must be given voluntarily, it must be given to a person who has the capability to understand, and it has to include adequate information necessary for the patient to formulate a decision (Black & Chitty, 2014). Informed consent involves a direct communication process between the physician and the patient regarding specific details of treatment. According to Black and Chitty (2014), it should include information regarding benefits, risks, potential side effects, costs, and alternative treatments. In order to be considered legally acceptable, informed consent must be complete, competent, and voluntary; each of these conditions must be evaluated for legal purposes (Black & Chitty, 2014). Along with the inclusion of specific criteria, informed consent must be

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