Informed consent meets managed care

The doctrine of informed consent requires that health care providers disclose to patients the nature of procedures to be performed and the attendant risks, benefits, and alternatives. Equipped with an understanding of their options, patients then have the right to consent to treatment or to refuse it. Obtaining informed consent can be an intricate process, in part because of variations in patients' capacity for understanding and the complexities of health conditions. Managed care further complicates the procedure because structural and economic factors may influence providers' options and patients' choices. This article reviews the features of informed consent as they apply under managed care and addresses ways to ensure that consent is appropriately delivered under managed care systems.