Informed consent: research and the psychotic patient

During the past few decades, western societies seem to have placed a particularly high premium on the individual's personal integrity and right to self-determination. Presently, obtaining a patient's consent is accepted as a prerequisite for the performance of any form of medical treatment, whether diagnostic or therapeutic in nature. A study was undertaken in various centres involved with clinical trials to compare the procedures used for obtaining informed consent from a psychotic patient. Although the study did not investigate the legal aspects related to consent and informed consent, it is necessary that one must be aware of these aspects when doing clinical trials.