Informed Consent to Treatment

Description of the Strategy

The doctrine of informed consent requires that a client be informed of potential benefits and risks of contemplated treatments, expected prognosis with and without treatment, and any possible alternative treatments, prior to entering treatment. Underlying the doctrine of informed consent is the principle of autonomy, the idea that a client's life and treatment should be self-determined.

Three elements are necessary for consent to be truly informed, and all three elements must be present for consent to be valid. The three elements are intelligence, knowledge, and voluntariness. Intelligence, sometimes referred to as competency, is defined as a client's legal capacity to comprehend and evaluate the specific information that is offered. Unless otherwise deemed by the courts, adults are considered legally ...