title: [The physician's professional responsibilities, especially the responsibility for patient education].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  With increasing numbers of disputs between patient and doctor the interest in correct enlightenment is rising.
  
  
  METHODS
  A review of literature is performed to find out the different duties of patient and especially of doctor to enlighten.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The medical profession has certain duties, not fulfilling or fulfilling of these duties results in patients claims. In addition to the duties to treat and to coordinate, there is the duty to enlighten of which there are two forms. They are called therapeutic enlightenment and informed consent. The therapeutic enlightenment should aid the collaboration of the patient in order to maximize the medical success of the treatment. The informed consent shall serve to give the patient all information about possible or necessary treatment, so that one can make a self-informed decision between treatment and non-treatment. The last form consists not only clarification about procedure but also the unavoidable risks. Because of the right of informed consent the doctor is obligated to explain the choices among possible similar treatments.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The knowledge for correct enlighten can reduce the number of disputes between patient and doctor.
authors.affiliation: Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Medizin, Fakultät.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Menter
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D008318:Malpractice / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D010358:Patient Participation / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D010819:Physician's Role; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations