Informed Consent and Patient Autonomy

This collection of flashcards covers critical vocabulary related to informed consent and patient autonomy, focusing on definitions essential for understanding medical ethics.

Informed Consent

A process by which a patient understands the risks, benefits, and alternatives of a proposed treatment or procedure.

Patient Autonomy

The right of patients to make informed choices about their medical treatment and care.

Psychotherapy Informed Consent Form

A document that outlines the terms, risks, and expectations involved in psychotherapy to ensure patient understanding and agreement.

Therapist

A licensed mental health care professional specializing in mental health issues, such as trauma and anxiety disorders.

Competence

The capacity of a patient to understand information, make decisions, and communicate about their treatment.

Voluntariness

The ability of a patient to make decisions free from coercion or undue influence.

Disclosure

The act of providing relevant information to a patient regarding their treatment options and associated risks.

Best Interests Standard

A guideline used for surrogate decision making that prioritizes the greatest benefit for a patient whose preferences are unknown.

Kantian Autonomy

A moral philosophy that respects individuals as rational agents capable of making their own decisions based on moral law.

Therapeutic Privilege

A concept where a physician may withhold information from a patient if disclosing it is believed to cause harm.

Substituted Judgment Standard

A decision-making approach where a surrogate makes choices based on what the patient would likely have decided if competent.

Professional Practice Standard

A standard for disclosure based on the customary practices of the medical community.

Reasonable Person Standard

A standard for disclosure that considers what a hypothetical average patient would want to know regarding their treatment.

Subjective Standard

A standard for disclosure that focuses on the individual informational needs of a specific patient.

Autonomy and Mental Illness

The idea that mental illness may impair a person’s ability to make autonomous choices.

Coercion

The act of persuading someone to do something by using threats or force.

Manipulation

A form of influence that does not involve coercion or persuasion but still affects a person's decision-making.