There is one essential thing you need to remember when you have a medical condition that may require treatment – you own your body. Before anyone can do anything to your body, you need to give your consent. This may also apply to doctors you consult about your health, as they may need to perform procedures or provide medication and treatment that may influence your body significantly.
It is completely within your rights as a patient to fully disclose and understand your treatment plan. Your doctor has a professional duty to obtain your informed consent.
When a doctor fails to obtain informed consent from you
Your doctor must acquire your informed consent, as they may be liable for medical malpractice if they fail to fully disclose and explain vital information, such as your medical diagnosis and all of your options for treatments and procedures. They also need to inform you of the purpose and the reason behind their preferred treatment or procedure. It is also your right to know if there are alternatives to the treatment.
To make an informed decision, you must know beforehand the risks and success rate of the treatments, medication or procedure. You also need to know your expected recovery time for every treatment or procedure, the efficacy of medicines and whether they have adverse effects. You will also need complete knowledge of your expenses and the possibility of your insurance covering all or part of them.
Your doctor will need to let you know how long rehabilitation might last and if there is anything you can do to increase the success rate of the treatment or procedure.
Know before you get treated
Failure to obtain a patient’s informed consent may be considered a civil or criminal offense. This is why you must make your own choices for your health and well-being.
