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Question 649
Clinical Management → Clinical Practice
Classification
Question
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Information for consent
Question Stem
A patient is told what operation is proposed and its expected benefits, but is not told about reasonable alternatives or the likely outcome of no treatment. Which component of consent is deficient?
Options
A
Capacity
B
Information
C
Communication
D
Validation
E
Voluntary transaction
Explanation
Adequate information should enable a rational decision and weighing of the proposed treatment, alternatives and no treatment. alternatives and the outcome without treatment among the information to be discussed.
Option Validity
A) The scenario does not indicate inability to make the decision; the missing element is the content supplied to support the decision.
C) Communication concerns the ability to communicate the decision, which is not the deficit described.
D) Validation concerns the signed written form and does not replace disclosure of alternatives and no treatment.
E) Voluntariness concerns freedom from coercion, not omission of treatment alternatives and the option of no treatment.
Further Reading
Saxena MRCOG-1 Basic Sciences — Principles of Clinical Practice, printed pp. 2–3.