Informed Consent in the Post-Modern Era

The doctrine of informed consent' is intended to get physicians to talk to their patients so that patients can make reasonably knowledgeable choices about whether to undergo particular forms of medical care.Although the law has long prohibited treatment without the patient's consent, 2 physicians have resisted the idea that treatment decisions ultimately are for the patient to make.Only recently have physicians been willing to disclose information about the benefits and risks of recommended therapies. 3 Even with the best of intentions, however, the discussions that do