Informed consent in emergency medicine: ethics under fire.
Many ethical issues in emergency medicine involve the question of informed consent. In this article, the ethical basis for informed consent, the essential elements of a morally valid informed consent, and the inadequacy of the law as a moral guide for informed consent are discussed. The ways in which the nature of emergency medicine affects the application of moral principles are examined, and specific guidelines for assessing a patient's decision-making capacity regarding informed consent are provided.
Thewes
J
J
Division of General Internal Medicine, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA.
FitzGerald
D
D
Sulmasy
D P
DP
D003657:Decision Making; D003675:Defensive Medicine; D004635:Emergency Medicine; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D016743:Mental Competency; D016414:Resuscitation Orders / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence