ABA Family Legal Guide

Health-Care Law

Patients' Rights

Informed Consent

What is informed consent?

In a nutshell, informed consent means that a doctor cannot treat you until he or she explains the procedure to you and you agree to the treatment. Informed consent protects your freedom to make decisions about your body. It allows you—rather than your doctor—to decide whether to undergo a particular treatment, despite your doctor's expertise and medical training. With informed consent, the patient makes the decision about treatment—and is the one who has to live with the decision, whatever the outcome.