The legal position with regard to informed consent in Denmark

Four elements are of importance in the handling of alleged physician faults: the political aims in this field, formal rules, administrative practice by the disciplinary board, and court rulings. However, in general, the law and the guidelines based on it regarding informed consent permit, to a very great extent, the physician to determine what relevant information the patient is to receive, and violation of the principle of informed consent is judged leniently. It is to be questioned whether this satisfies the patient and ensures the right to self-determination, and whether the regulations or the way in which they are applied are in agreement with the political aims in the field. There appears to be a need for political and professional debate regarding this issue.