A medical professional is not supposed to perform any medical procedure, prescribe any medication, or administer any other treatment without the informed consent of a patient or their legal representative. Doing otherwise may not only be unethical, but also illegal, and can risk major harm to the patient. But what is informed consent and why is it such an important part of medical practice?
While medical issues can sometimes be complex, it is the doctor’s job to explain things in a way that patients understand. Therefore, the requirement of being able to dispel a patient’s confusion is at the heart of informed consent laws.
