Who must be competent to provide informed consent?

Who must be competent to provide informed consent?

• A. The physician
• B. The patient
• C. The family member
• D. The hospital administrator

Answer: (B)

The person who will undergo treatment must be competent to provide informed consent. Informed consent hinges on decision-making capacity, meaning the patient can understand the information about the proposed care, appreciate the consequences of accepting or declining it, reason about the options, and communicate a clear choice. When a patient is able to do these things, their consent is valid and binding. If a patient cannot understand or appreciate the information, or cannot communicate a choice, a legally authorized surrogate steps in to consent on the patient’s behalf—this could be a durable power of attorney for healthcare or an advance directive. In emergencies, consent may be implied to proceed with life-saving care. The physician’s role is to inform and obtain consent, but the authority to consent rests with the competent patient (or a legally authorized surrogate), not with a family member or hospital administrator.

The person who will undergo treatment must be competent to provide informed consent. Informed consent hinges on decision-making capacity, meaning the patient can understand the information about the proposed care, appreciate the consequences of accepting or declining it, reason about the options, and communicate a clear choice. When a patient is able to do these things, their consent is valid and binding.

If a patient cannot understand or appreciate the information, or cannot communicate a choice, a legally authorized surrogate steps in to consent on the patient’s behalf—this could be a durable power of attorney for healthcare or an advance directive. In emergencies, consent may be implied to proceed with life-saving care. The physician’s role is to inform and obtain consent, but the authority to consent rests with the competent patient (or a legally authorized surrogate), not with a family member or hospital administrator.