Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
SENDROM, cilt.19, sa.8, ss.50-55, 2007 (Scopus)
However, patient-physician relationship has many ethical aspects the purpose of this relationship is always the utility of the patient. Patient satisfaction has an important place in health care. Qualified health care, feeling confidence in physician, accurate communication are the effective components in patient satisfaction. In addition, giving sufficient information about patient's health status increases these components' effects. Along with nineteenth century rapidly development of technology in medicine, acceptance of patient rights and autonomy as one of the fundamental values are expanded the importance of informed consent in the patient-physician relationship. Consent means patient acceptance or rejection to the methods of diagnosis or treatment. It is originated from autonomy right and it is an ethical and a legal concept. Therefore, whatever medical operation directed towards diagnosis, treatment or scientific research cannot be applied without consent of patient. Informed consent is supported with information and it is a conservation process that needs effective communication skill. Consent is not valid as ethically and legally if there is a lack of information or the situation that patient cannot comprehend his/her status. So information must be given by physician, be adequate and be understood by the patient. There are three points in the informed consent: 1. patient is not at the same knowledge level with physician, 2. patient has the right to decide to the applications on his/her body and 3. patient must be informed for the valid consent. In this paper, why informed consent is important in the patient-physician relationship, its definition, characteristics and basis, and the medical applications that can be done without consent are defined. Also the issues about consent as quality of information, misunderstood of patient, sharing information, telling the truth, constrain or disoriented of patient, evaluation of patient competence and informed consent forms are discussed with different sides.