Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Bioethics for clinicians: 3. Capacity

E Etchells1, G Sharpe, C Elliott

  • 1University of Toronto Joint Centre for Bioethics, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Ont. eetchells@torhosp.toronto.on.ca

CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association Journal = Journal De L'Association Medicale Canadienne
|September 15, 1996
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Towards real-time pork breed and boar taint classification using rapid evaporative ionisation mass spectrometry.

NPJ science of food·2026
Same author

Establishing a Post-Acute Covid-19 AHP Led Rehabilitation Clinic.

Irish medical journal·2022
Same author

Clinical utilisation of the Infant Monitor of vocal Production (IMP) for early identification of communication impairment in young infants at-risk of cerebral palsy: a prospective cohort study.

Developmental neurorehabilitation·2021
Same author

Clinical insights: Preparing for the Tokyo Olympics-Ensuring health and welfare of equine athletes in the face of heat and humidity.

Equine veterinary journal·2021
Same author

Understanding farmers' and veterinarians' behavior in relation to antimicrobial use and resistance in dairy cattle: A systematic review.

Journal of dairy science·2021
Same author

Patterning Chronic Active Demyelination in Slowly Expanding/Evolving White Matter MS Lesions.

AJNR. American journal of neuroradiology·2020
Same journal

Rheumatoid synovitis of the elbow mimicking rheumatoid nodule.

CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne·2026
Same journal

CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne·2026
Same journal

What pool closures in Canada mean for health.

CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne·2026
Same journal

Fatal rabies in a child.

CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne·2026
Same journal

CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne·2026
Same journal

Otitis externa.

CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne·2026
See all related articles

Assessing patient capacity is crucial for informed consent. Clinicians should conduct specific capacity assessments, evaluating understanding and decision reasoning, recommending further evaluation if incapacity is suspected.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Ethics
  • Clinical Decision-Making
  • Patient Rights

Background:

  • Patient consent is fundamental in healthcare.
  • Determining a patient's capacity to consent is a complex clinical challenge.
  • Capacity is decision-specific, meaning a patient may be capable for one decision but not another.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To define patient capacity in the context of treatment decisions.
  • To outline methods for assessing clinical capacity.
  • To emphasize the importance of specific capacity assessments.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on clinical capacity assessment.
  • Description of different assessment approaches: cognitive testing, general impressions, and specific capacity assessment.
Keywords:
Professional Patient Relationship

Related Experiment Videos

  • Emphasis on evaluating patient's understanding and appreciation of treatment implications.

    • Main Results:

    • Capacity is the ability to understand information and appreciate consequences of decisions.
    • While some patients are clearly capable or incapable, others require formal assessment.
    • Specific capacity assessment, focusing on understanding and reasoning, is the optimal method.

    Conclusions:

    • Clinicians must ensure effective information disclosure during capacity assessment.
    • Evaluating the patient's reasoning is essential.
    • If a patient appears incapable, further assessment is generally recommended.