Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 1991 Apr;5(2):91-104.
doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8519.1991.tb00150.x.

Patient decision-making capacity and risk

Mark R Wicclair
Case Reports

Patient decision-making capacity and risk

Mark R Wicclair. Bioethics. 1991 Apr.

Abstract

KIE: Although certain requisites of patient decision-making competency are generally agreed upon, there is no universally recognized standard. Wicclair, of the University of West Virginia Department of Philosophy, offers two reasons why a single standard should not be determined. First, competency is variable according to the decision at hand, i.e., task-related. Second, arguments in support of risk-related criteria fail. Wicclair challenges claims that a risk-related standard is legally the most feasible, is supported by the doctrine of informed consent, is consistent with everyday competence judgments, and achieves the best compromise between patient autonomy and concern for patient well-being. He argues that where risk is high, such a standard threatens unattainable requirements for competency; and where it is low, offers no set minimum, resulting in overly weak competency standards. Wicclair concludes that the standard of decision-making capacity should not vary by risk perceived.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

Publication types

MeSH terms

Personal name as subject

LinkOut - more resources