Consent vs. Refusal From Medical Treatment

Any person supposed to receive medical treatment can give either consent or refusal to receive it. Informed consent can be given by the person in case he/she agrees to receive the treatment suggested by the doctor and regards it as the most appropriate method of dealing with current health issues. Informed refusal can be given by the patient who considers the treatment offered by the doctor inappropriate and potentially harmful to his/her health. In both cases, the patient needs to receive full-fledged information about the consequences of agreeing or refusing to receive the treatment.

The doctor is obliged to make sure that the patient fully understands the specifics of his health problem and the risks related to accepting or refusing the treatment proposed by the medical institution. All doctors should respect the patients’ right to receive the full information about the specifics of the health condition they experience and the benefits and flaws of choosing certain variants of treatment and decide what steps to take next.

If the doctor does not provide enough information and the person’s decision leads to negative consequences, the patient can sue the doctor due to the harm the negligent behavior of the clinician has caused. Obtaining the patient’s consent to treatment is one of the primary responsibilities of any practitioner. Doctors have to strive to provide the full information about the specifics and consequences of suggested treatment and encourage their patients to make thoughtful decisions that will benefit their health.