The right to make informed consent means that the patient has the right get all the information related to their care in a personalized, plain language (considering the patient’s age, educational background, knowledge, emotional state, wishes) that is necessary for them to make a choice or a decision on their care.
If needed, the patient has also to right to receive this information with the cooperation of an interpreter or a sign-language interpreter.
Information regarding informed consent includes, but is not limited to the followings:
- their health condition and the doctor’s opinion;
- the indicated procedures and interventions and their advantages, risks, date and also their treatment choices, including being able to request or refuse treatment;
- the process and the possible outcome of the care;
- further interventions, alternative therapeutic options and methods;
- recommended lifestyle;
- test results.
The patient has the right to:
- get to know the name, qualification and position of those who are taking care of them;
- ask questions during and after being informed;
- designate a person who can be informed by the doctor;
- ban people from being informed.
Patients who lack decision-making capacity, minors with limited capacity and patients with limited capacity in regard to any subject have the right to receive information about their health condition and their care at the appropriate level (considering their age and mental state).
Before the examination, the doctor has to inform the patient (if they do not lack decision-making capacity) about the charge of the examination and the following care, if the result of the examination does not indicate emergency and the examination and the care are not covered by the social security insurance.
Patients with capacity to act can waive their right to be informed, however, if the patient requested and intervention, waiving is only valid in a form of a written statement.
It is also important to note that patient information leaflets do not supplement information given in person. Patients have the right to consult on the information regarding their status and care.
