ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION Physicians practicing medicine in the United States today are not usually free to render treatment until the patient‘s consent is obtained. Simple consent, i.e., only obtaining the patient’s agreement to contemplated treatment without discussion of risks, benefits, or alternatives is no longer adequate to shield a healthcare practitioner from liability or medical malpractice. In general, in addition to a patient giving consent for a contemplated procedure, consent must also be ‘‘informed.’’ This informed consent, which is an ever evolving legal doctrine, that was formulated and realized over the later half of the 20th century includes not only the type of procedure that is planned for the patient but also enumerates the risks and alternatives associated with the treatment. This issue has been formulated into a legal concept called the Doctrine of Informed Consent. The Doctrine is predicated on an individual’s right to determine what happens to his or her body.
