1. Learn about informed consent
Question & Answer
What happens if I cannot consent to medical treatment?Consent means that you agree to something.
The law says you must give your consent to the to get medical treatment. And for your consent to be valid, it must be:
- informed, and
- voluntary.
Read about voluntary consent in Step 2.
Informed consent
Informed consent means that you have all the important information you need to decide to agree to the treatment or to not agree.
Your health-care provider must explain the treatment to you. They should tell you the following information.
What the treatment will do
Your health-care provider must tell you what will happen when you get the treatment and why this will happen.
Ask questions like:
- Why am I having the treatment?
- What will happen when I have the treatment?
How you’ll get the treatment
One person may give you the treatment or there may be several people.
Ask questions like:
- Who's giving me the treatment?
- When am I having the treatment? Can I have the treatment sooner or later than that?
- Where will it happen?
- How many appointments will I have?
- Will I have to stay in the hospital overnight or for a few days?
What are the side effects
Many medical treatments have side effects. For example, some medications make you sleepy or dizzy, or cause a rash on your skin.
Ask questions like:
- What side effects will I have?
- Are some side effects more serious?
- How long will the side effects last?
How the treatment will help
Your health-care provider must tell you what benefits there are if you have the treatment. For example, getting the treatment may make some of your symptoms go away.
Ask questions like:
- How will I feel after the treatment?
- Will the treatment take away all or some of my symptoms?
How the treatment might hurt you
Your health-care provider must tell you what risks there are if you have the treatment. This includes common risks that many people have and risks that do not happen as often but are serious.
Ask questions like:
- What can happen if I do not get the treatment?
- Will my condition get worse or stay the same without the treatment?
Get more information
You may want more information before making your final decision. You can ask your health-care provider to refer you to another health-care provider for a second opinion.
Your health-care provider must do this if you ask.
