title: The assessment of decisional capacity.
abstract: The physician must explain the treatment or procedure in detail including risks, benefits, and alternative options; the patient's choice must be voluntary; the patient must demonstrate his or her ability to understand the risks and benefits of their choice; and the patient must be able to manipulate information in a logical way. These criteria must be met in order for the process of informed consent to be valid.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, 1 Gustave L Levy Place, Box 1230, New York, NY 10029, USA.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Deborah B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Marin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000405:Akinetic Mutism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D002755:Choice Behavior; D030881:Disclosure; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology*; D018570:Risk Assessment