ABSTRACT
An informed consent may be defined as an autonomous action by a subject or a patient that authorizes a professional either to involve the subject in research or to initiate a medical plan for the patient (or both). Based on an analysis of autonomous action we have defended elsewhere, this definition can be expanded as follows: An informed consent is given if a patient or a subject with (a) substantial understanding and (b) in substantial absence of control by others (c) intentionally (d) authorizes a professional to initiate either a medical plan or research involvement, or both (Faden & Beauchamp, 1986).
