title: Avoiding surprises. A model for informing patients.
abstract: The standard models for what doctors must tell their patients are based on the idea of informed consent: physicians must provide the information that patients need to make treatment decisions. In fact, though, they usually provide considerably more information than this model requires. And rightly so: patients should receive enough information that they will not be surprised by whatever happens--unless the physician is also surprised.
mesh_terms: D002140:California; D003657:Decision Making; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D008297:Male; D008318:Malpractice; D009014:Morals; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011336:Probability
keywords: Analytical Approach; Professional Patient Relationship