[Patient autonomy and informed consent - ethical and legal issues]

Informing patients about the benefits and risks of and alternatives to proposed medical or surgical procedures is crucial to the patient-physician relationship. It is a legal and ethical precondition to a patient's informed consent to a course of action. Particularly in cases of serious illness and when there are far reaching implications for a patient's lifestyle, this process entails much more than just imparting information. Indeed, it is a dialogue through which the physician empowers the patient to reach a decision which reflects the patient's life situation and system of values. This process promotes patient autonomy. Studies have shown that this approach builds trust, increases patient satisfaction with health care and results in a higher degree of professional fulfilment for the physician.