The psychiatrist as informed consent technician: a problem for the professions

Psychiatric consultation in general medical settings is a valuable corollary to the work of other health care professionals. In various contexts, such consultation can be debased, however, to the point that the psychiatrist is serving as a technician rather than as a consultant in relation to several aspects of the informed consent process. The authors identify five inappropriate models of psychiatric consultation and review the proper approach to obtaining true informed consent.