consent

The consent - Also sometimes referred to as informed consent, the legal term describing a patient’s agreement to a doctor performing an operation, arranging drug treatment, or carrying out a diagnostic test. The patient’s consent is also needed before a doctor supplies confidential information to an insurance company, an employer, or a lawyer.

Consent is valid only if the patient has been fully informed about the purpose of that particular procedure, the likely outcome, and any complications and side effects. Consent cannot be given by young children or by people who are not considered to be competent, but a relative may give or withhold consent on their behalf.