PHI 2396 Lecture 5: Ch 5 part 1
14 Dec 2017
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Document Summary
Informed consent is defined as the action of an autonomous, informed person agreeing to subunit to medical treatment or experimentation. This idea arises from the fact that patients, as autonomous persons have the ultimate and final say in what can and cannot be done to their bodies. They cannot be treated without their voluntary, informed agreement. It is an ethical and moral right of every person on this planet. It is also a legal requirement, physicians have to disclose information about intervention to patients and obtain their consent and permission before proceeding. Informed consent appeals and relates to the principles of autonomy and beneficence. The principle of autonomy as discussed in previous chapters tells us that we should respect people"s capacity for self-determination. This idea rejects strong medical paternalism, which says that physicians or nurses decide what is best for patients. Informed consent exists but is limited and exists only if the patient:
