The informed consent process is an ethical and legal requirement for medical treatment. It ensures that you understand and agree to have specific medical treatment. Informed consent protects your autonomy and your legal rights as a patient. The process also supports healthcare providers’ efforts to make ethical decisions.
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Healthcare providers use informed consent to make sure you understand your diagnosis and your treatment options. This process involves ongoing and clear conversations between you and your healthcare provider. These conversations often lead to your decision to give consent for treatment.
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Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy
The informed consent process is important for several reasons. It protects your ability to make your own decisions about medical treatment. It also protects your legal right to ask questions about recommended treatments.
The process also guides healthcare providers. It helps them to make ethical decisions about your healthcare, and it helps you and your provider make healthcare decisions together.
In general, the following procedures and tests require informed consent:
The standards include informed consent types and principles. There are three types of informed consent and four principles.
The three types are:
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These are steps healthcare providers take to conclude you’re giving informed consent. They conclude that:
Medical terms and procedures can be confusing. Your provider wants to be sure you understand their recommendations. They want you to feel confident about your decisions. To that end, they may share medical information with videos, photographs or written guides. If the language your provider speaks isn’t your first language, you’ll work with a medical translator.
In general, your healthcare team should tell you:
Communication is key to the informed consent process. Your provider will discuss your situation with you. They’ll answer questions so they’re confident that you understand the recommendations. They must note this in the informed consent document.
Your formal approval is the essential and final step in the informed consent process. You may sign an informed consent form or give consent verbally. Either way, it’s important that you make decisions voluntarily.
Several organizations oversee or provide guidance on informed consent. For example:
There are situations when a healthcare provider can provide treatment without going through the informed consent process. Your provider may start treatment without your informed consent if:
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They may also begin treating you without your informed consent if you waive your right to have informed consent.
In general, children under age 18 can’t give formal informed consent to treatment. That means parents or legal guardians give formal consent on a child’s behalf.
It means that you consent to having the specific treatment that your healthcare provider recommends. Importantly, it means you understand treatment benefits and risks. You also understand that there are alternative treatments.
But an informed consent document isn’t a contract. You can change your mind and take back your consent.
Your provider can’t give you treatment that you don’t want. They may recommend other treatments. And they’ll continue to treat your symptoms, like pain management treatment.
Healthcare providers may need your formal permission to do certain tests or treatments. The informed consent process is how you give them that permission. You may feel anxious about giving permission if you’re not familiar with medical terms. The informed consent process may help you feel less anxious. The process can make it easier for you and your provider to communicate.
Informed consent is one of the many ways your providers keep you safe. If you need to give informed consent, ask your provider for more information. They’ll be glad to take the time to discuss your situation as you both go through the informed consent process.
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Last reviewed on 12/01/2024.
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