INFORMED CONSENT – RIGHT OR BURDEN

Informed consent is legal institute that was introduced in the research area to prevent possible abuses in human research. Almost a century later it was introduced also in general medicine outside the research area. It’s a basic human right to decide about own body and thus also about possible interventions in such body. Fore decisions the quality information is necessary. Co-deciding on the type of medical treatment would result also in better result of such treatment (the patient would be more interested to cooperate in the treatment process). The present practice is that informed consent is mere a part of bureaucratic doctor-patient relation as a mode to prevent possible lawsuits. Taking into account other negative impacts on the patient (sc. nocebo effect) there is a serious question whether informed consent is adequate and fruitful. The submission posts some proposals that improve doctor-patient relationship and give patient real possibility to decide alone how and to what extent he/she would execute his/hers rights as a patient regarding medical treatments.