title: [Is my patient able to provide informed consent? A practical guideline].
abstract: Patient autonomy is a fundamental issue. Sometimes it is unclear whether a patient is capable to consent to a treatment decision. The treating physician judges whether a patient is able to provide informed consent. This judgement is a medical and not a legal decision. Considerations as to whether a patient can provide informed consent should always be systematically and in detail included in the medical records and should be periodically re-evaluated. Even if a patient incapable to consent to a particular medical decision, efforts should be put into finding the optimal treatment (proportional, effective and least substantial). It can be useful to involve a psychiatrist as a second and independent judge of a patient's ability to provide informed consent. A psychiatrist can also judge whether a psychiatric or cognitive disorder influences the ability to consent.
authors.affiliation: UMC Utrecht, afdeling Psychiatrie, Utrecht.
authors.forename: Christiaan H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Vinkers
authors.forename: Gerrit B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: van de Kraats
authors.forename: Monique  C
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Biesaart
authors.forename: Joeri K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Tijdink
mesh_terms: D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000150:complications; D003657:Decision Making; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000941:ethics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic