informed consent
Voluntary medical authorization
Informed consent is agreement to a medical procedure, research participation, or other action after receiving full disclosure of relevant information—risks, benefits, alternatives, and consequences.
The concept is foundational in medical ethics and law: a patient cannot truly consent without understanding what they're agreeing to.
The surgeon obtained informed consent before the operation.
Informed consent also applies in legal contracts and human subjects research.
Moral philosophy for medicine
- beneficenceActive desire to help
- justiceFair treatment under law
- transparencyState of being see-through
- trustConfidence in another
integrity · Nuremberg Code · Helsinki Declaration · fiduciary duty · moral obligation · truthfulness · vulnerability · exploitation
Human subject research experiment
- human subjectsPeople in experiments
- participantOne who takes part
- experimental treatmentUnproven medical procedure being tested
- placeboInactive therapeutic substitute
randomization · data privacy · research ethics · investigator · sponsor · vulnerable populations · Tuskegee
Mental comprehension of something
- disclosureAct of revealing information
- informationKnowledge about something
- clarityState of being understandable
- explanationStatement making something clear
plain language · health literacy · patient education · medical terminology · reading level · mental competence
Written proof or instructions
- liabilityLegal or financial obligation
- medical malpracticeSubstandard care causing injury
- negligenceFailure to exercise care
- legal capacityAbility to hold rights
competency · age of majority · waiver · authorization · witness · signature · statute · regulation
Control over one's fate
- agencyPower to act
- choiceAct of selecting
- empowermentGaining authority or confidence
- decision-makingProcess of choosing actions
patient autonomy · bodily autonomy · right to refuse · self-governance · independence · volition · personal responsibility · free will
Legal protections for care recipients
- alternative treatmentsNon-mainstream healing approaches
- prognosisPredicted disease course
- second opinionAdditional expert consultation
- bedside mannerPhysician's interpersonal approach
Done without compulsion
- willingReady without resistance
- opt-inActively choose participation
- non-compulsoryNot required by rule
- revocableAble to be canceled
freely given · withdrawal · elective · deliberate · intentional · undue influence
bioethics
Moral philosophy for medicine
- beneficenceActive desire to help
- justiceFair treatment under law
- transparencyState of being see-through
trust · integrity · Nuremberg Code · Helsinki Declaration · fiduciary duty · moral obligation · truthfulness · vulnerability · exploitation
clinical trial
Human subject research experiment
- human subjectsPeople in experiments
- participantOne who takes part
- experimental treatmentUnproven medical procedure being tested
placebo · randomization · data privacy · research ethics · investigator · sponsor · vulnerable populations · Tuskegee
understanding
Mental comprehension of something
- disclosureAct of revealing information
- informationKnowledge about something
- clarityState of being understandable
explanation · plain language · health literacy · patient education · medical terminology · reading level · mental competence
documentation
Written proof or instructions
- liabilityLegal or financial obligation
- medical malpracticeSubstandard care causing injury
- negligenceFailure to exercise care
legal capacity · competency · age of majority · waiver · authorization · witness · signature · statute · regulation · HIPAA
self-determination
Control over one's fate
- agencyPower to act
- choiceAct of selecting
- empowermentGaining authority or confidence
decision-making · patient autonomy · bodily autonomy · right to refuse · self-governance · independence · volition · personal responsibility · free will · opt-out
patient rights
Legal protections for care recipients
- alternative treatmentsNon-mainstream healing approaches
- prognosisPredicted disease course
- second opinionAdditional expert consultation
uncoerced
Done without compulsion
- willingReady without resistance
- opt-inActively choose participation
- non-compulsoryNot required by rule
freely given · revocable · withdrawal · elective · deliberate · intentional · undue influence
- German MedicinePaul Ehrlich, germ theory, aspirin, Bayer, Merck
- health studiesmedical ethics, bioethics, health policy, health equity, medical history
- medical practicesmedical ethics, patient confidentiality, Hippocratic oath, medical licensing, professional conduct
- bioregulationFDA approval, drug approval, biosafety, bioethics, human subjects
- clinical interviewspsychiatric evaluation, psychiatric history, clinical assessment, mental health assessment, patient history
- cryonicscryonics, cryopreservation, vitrification, liquid nitrogen, suspended animation
informed consentcoercion
Pressured compliance through threats
duress · compulsion · coerced consent · manipulation · undue influence
informed consentnon-consent
Lack of agreement
refusal · manufactured consent · dissent · violation · imposition
consent, informed, uninformed, informing, misinformed, disinformed