title: Legal and ethical issues in electroconvulsive therapy.
abstract: The use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) today has become mired in legal regulations. Obtaining a valid informed consent prior to administering ECT is the duty of the treating psychiatrist; failure to obtain such consent is the most common area of professional liability. The trend of increased judicial scrutiny of ECT has generated both clinical and ethical dilemmas, especially in the context of the emerging concept of the right to effective treatment.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles.
authors.forename: G B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Leong
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Eth
mesh_terms: D004565:Electroconvulsive Therapy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D033161:Government Regulation; D006801:Humans; D028642:Persons with Psychiatric Disorders; D033242:Minors; D033282:Parental Consent; D028701:Patient Rights; D018570:Risk Assessment