Surgical Informed Consent: New Challenges

Surgical Informed Consent: New Challenges
Claire Hoppenot, Ava Ferguson Bryan, Sean C. Wightman, Victoria Yin, Benjamin D. Ferguson, Sanam Bidadi, Margaret B. Mitchell, Alexander J. Langerman, Peter Angelos, Puneet Singh
Current Problems in Surgery, 10 December 2022
Introduction
Informed consent in medicine has evolved considerably over the 19th and 20th centuries to its current form which represents a practical application of the ethical principle respect for autonomy. Global and national historical events, rapid advances in medicine, the digital age, and shared decision making in the doctor-patient relationship have contributed and continue to shape our informed consent processes. This monograph highlights the history and current state of informed consent, intersection with the legal system, vulnerable populations, involvement of trainees, research and innovation, concurrent surgery, and non-medical factors to disclose. Informed consent refers to agreements with patients for treatment and also with subjects for experimentation. Thus, informed consent for treatment and informed consent for research, although distinctly different, both rely on the central ethical principle of respect for autonomy.