title: Varieties of decisional incapacity: theory and practice.
abstract: Evaluation of decision-making capacity (DMC) for treatment is challenging. Owen et al, in this issue of the Journal, compare the abilities (understanding, appreciation and reasoning) relevant to DMC in medical and psychiatric patients. Here I discuss three key issues their article raises and that are relevant to the direction of future research.
authors.affiliation: Scott Y. H. Kim, MD, PhD, Department of Bioethics, 10 Center Drive, 1C118, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA. Email: scott.kim@nih.gov.
authors.forename: Scott Y H
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000523:psychology*; D007297:Inpatients / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D016743:Mental Competency / Q000523:psychology*