The Value of Informed Consent

The Value of Informed Consent

People have a right to understand exactly what is going on when a business or a person does something to him or her. Informed consent is a particular term used in law to indicate that a person consented to a certain thing and was completely aware of what was going to happen when they consented.

Most of the time individuals are asked to consent in the form of a legal document which states what will happen and is then signed.

When is it Used

Informed consent is most often seen before certain medical procedures that may result in undesirable side effects as mild as scarring and as severe as death. Doctors or technicians must completely inform the patient about what will happen during the procedure and the exact types of things that may happen if things do not go completely smoothly.

Patients should be clearly and solidly notified about everything involving the procedure before a signature is asked for. Asking the patient to read the specifics themselves without a personal explanation or merely glossing over the facts is not enough.

Many people in the medical field do not focus enough on the informed part. They instead stick onto the consent part so that they will not be held legally liable for things that may go wrong. But if a doctor failed to give a complete and realistic picture of what will go on and the patient signed the waiver, it can be found null and void.

Instances in which an Individual Cannot Give Consent

A person that is expected to give consent to a procedure or a legal agreement must be physically and mentally able to do so. There are a number of instances in which consent forms will not be validated. The person must have enough reasoning to know what is going on. Impairments in judgment that may result from certain mental states must be acknowledged.

The following are examples of states of mind in which a person can not be expected to give proper consent:

o A persona with mental retardation

o A person with mental illness

o Someone who is intoxicated by alcohol, recreational drugs, prescription drugs or even some over the counter drugs such as flu medicines which may make the individual groggy

o A person with Alzheimer's disease

o Someone in a coma

To find out more about informed consent, visit the website of the St. Petersburg medical malpractice lawyers of Beltz & Ruth, PA [http://personal-injuries-attorneys.com].

Joseph Devine

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Joseph_Devine/136388

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3721907

_(By Joseph Devine).