in·formed consent ( n-fôrmd )n. Consent by a patient to a surgical or medical procedure or participation in a clinical study after achieving an understanding of the relevant medical facts and the risks involved. |
informed consent
Etymology: L, informare, to give form, consentire, to sense
permission obtained from a patient to perform a specific test or procedure. Informed consent is required before most invasive procedures are performed and before a patient is admitted to a research study. The document used must be written in a language understood by the patient and be dated and signed by the patient and at least one witness. Signed consent should be obtained by the person performing the procedure. Included in the document are clear, rational statements that describe the procedure or test. Also required is a statement that care will not be withheld if the patient does not consent. Informed consent is voluntary. By law, informed consent must be obtained more than a given number of days or hours before certain procedures, including therapeutic abortion and sterilization, and must always be obtained when the patient is fully competent. An individual must be of a certain legal age to give consent; laws vary from state to state. Compare implied consent.
consent [kon-sent´]
in law, voluntary agreement with an action proposed by another. Consent is an act of reason; the person giving consent must be of sufficient mental capacity and be in possession of all essential information in order to give valid consent. A person who is an infant, is mentally incompetent, or is under the influence of drugs is incapable of giving consent. Consent must also be free of coercion or fraud.
informed consent consent of a patient or other recipient of services based on the principles of autonomy and privacy; this has become the requirement at the center of morally valid decision making in health care and research. Seven criteria define informed consent: (1) competence to understand and to decide, (2) voluntary decision making, (3) disclosure of material information, (4) recommendation of a plan, (5) comprehension of terms (3) and (4), (6) decision in favor of a plan, and (7) authorization of the plan. A person gives informed consent only if all of these criteria are met. If all of the criteria are met except that the person rejects the plan, that person makes an informed refusal.
In nonemergency situations, written informed consent is generally required before many medical procedures, such as surgery, including biopsies, endoscopy, and radiographic procedures involving catheterization. The physician must explain to the patient the diagnosis, the nature of the procedure, including the risks involved and the chances of success, and the alternative methods of treatment that are available. Nurses or other members of the health care team may be involved in filling out the consent form and witnessing the signature of the patient or the parent or guardian, if the patient is a minor. In medical research, the patient must be informed that the procedure is experimental and that consent can be withdrawn at any time. In addition, the person signing the consent form must be informed of the risks and benefits of the experimental procedure and of alternative treatments.
In nonemergency situations, written informed consent is generally required before many medical procedures, such as surgery, including biopsies, endoscopy, and radiographic procedures involving catheterization. The physician must explain to the patient the diagnosis, the nature of the procedure, including the risks involved and the chances of success, and the alternative methods of treatment that are available. Nurses or other members of the health care team may be involved in filling out the consent form and witnessing the signature of the patient or the parent or guardian, if the patient is a minor. In medical research, the patient must be informed that the procedure is experimental and that consent can be withdrawn at any time. In addition, the person signing the consent form must be informed of the risks and benefits of the experimental procedure and of alternative treatments.
informed consent,
n 1. an aspect of research in which the consent of the subject is obtained and the subject is informed of possible risks and benefits from participating in the research.
2. consent to medical procedures/treatment given by a patient after the potential risks, hazards, and benefits of the treatment have been explained.
2. consent to medical procedures/treatment given by a patient after the potential risks, hazards, and benefits of the treatment have been explained.
informed consent,
n an agreement by a patient, verbal or written, after being told in sufficient detail of possible risks, to have a procedure performed.
consent
in law, voluntary agreement with an action proposed by another, e.g. agreement to treat, to euthanatize. Consent is an act of reason so that the person consenting must be sane and of sufficient age to be capable of giving consent. Written consent is an agreement in writing.
informed consent
agreement to a proposition when the consenting person is in possession of all of the facts relevant to the decision. In the eyes of the law the consent of a client to a surgical operation, to a financial expenditure, to euthanasia carries no authority unless the client is fully informed about what is to be done and what the alternatives are. If this is not done the client is entitled to sue for damages if the outcome is unsatisfactory.
informed consent
Medtalk A voluntary, legally documented agreement by the Pt to allow performance of a specific diagnostic, therapeutic, or research procedure. See Emergency doctrine, Informed decision, Malpractice, Therapeutic privilege
doctrine.
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