Informed Consent
Informed consent is the documented process by which a patient authorizes a specific intervention after receiving material information. The exam tests process, not just the form.
Required content
- Diagnosis or differential diagnosis; nature and purpose of the proposed intervention.
- Material risks, expected benefits, alternatives (including no treatment) and likely consequences of refusal.
- Who will perform it; material changes require renewed consent. Consent must be voluntary and given by a patient with legal capacity. For minors, legal representatives normally consent; the Code has exceptions, so check the current rule. In an emergency, when the patient cannot consent and no representative is available, the decision is made and documented by the medical council or attending doctor under the statutory procedure.
Worked example
A patient agrees to a simple extraction. During surgery the dentist finds a fractured root and wants to raise a flap. That is a materially different intervention; the dentist should, if feasible, explain and obtain consent. A pre-signed blank consent is not valid.
Traps
Signature without explanation; consent obtained by an assistant who cannot answer questions; using one form for all procedures; failing to document refusal; assuming consent to diagnosis equals consent to treatment.