Legal and ethical myths about informed consent

Abstract

Informed consent is a foundational concept of medical ethics. Since its enunciation almost 4 decades ago, it has engendered, and continues to engender, a great deal of debate and opposition from practicing physicians. We believe that much of the negative reaction to informed consent stems from some fundamental misunderstandings about what informed consent requires. This article discusses and refutes several myths about informed consent that have acquired some currency among physicians.