More and more, patients and their families are becoming responsible partners in their health care. When you go for medical care, you usually talk with the doctor to get his or her recommendations about the next step in your treatment. Most people follow these recommendations, but they are not required to do that. If you are an adult and you are able to make your own decisions, you are the only person who can choose which course of action to take.
All medical care requires the consent of the patient (or someone who is authorized to consent for the patient) before the care plan is carried out. In some cases, you approve the doctor's plan by simply getting a prescription filled, allowing blood to be drawn for lab tests, or seeing a specialist. This is called simple consent, and is OK for treatments that carry little risk for you. Often times, though, a more careful process called informed consent is required.
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