What to disclose? Revisiting informed consent

Area of Science:

• Medical Law
• Bioethics
• Patient Rights

Background:

• Informed consent is a cornerstone of medical ethics and patient autonomy.
• Patients increasingly seek comprehensive information beyond standard risks, benefits, and alternatives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if modern informed consent doctrine includes physician-specific variables.
• Investigated disclosure of physician experience, health, training, financial interests, and outcomes data.

Main Methods:

• Searched legal databases for court opinions and reviews on informed consent scope.
• Analyzed legal precedents to summarize the current state of informed consent law.

Main Results:

• Courts have generally been reluctant to mandate disclosure of physician-specific variables.
• Disclosure is sometimes required when these variables directly impact patient care and are deemed relevant.

Conclusions:

• Informed consent law has subtly expanded, requiring disclosure of material physician information.
• Physicians should assess the materiality of information to a reasonable patient's decision-making process.