[Informed consent and principle of precaution].
The so called principle of precaution can be applied to the medical activity according to two opposite conceptions : in a traditional way, the practitioner is acting following the line he/she presumes to be in the best interests of the patient, despite the psychological burden of this attitude. The information given to the patient is modulated accordingly. Such attitude is nowadays considered as excessively paternalistic. Following the recent Court decisions the information must now become absolutely complete, including the very serious, albeit exceptional, consequences of the treatments, in order to allow the patient to make in every circumstance an informed choice. Such an attitude leads to a very efficient protection of the practitioner. However, the consequences may be detrimental for the individual patients, as well as for the whole society.
Sureau
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Institut Théramex, Bioéthique, Santé de la Femme et Société, 38/40 avenue de New York, 75116 Paris, France.
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent; D010344:Patient Advocacy; D010819:Physician's Role