Informed Consent in Obstetrics and Gynecology: Indian Scenario

Abstract

Informed consent is the process by which the treating health care provider discloses appropriate information to a competent patient so that the patient may make a voluntary choice to accept or refuse treatment. Or, in simple words, consent is agreement or permission to do or allow something. The element of consent is one of the critical issues in the area of medical treatment today. It is well known that the patient must give valid consent to medical treatment; and it is his or her prerogative to refuse treatment even if the said treatment will save their life. No doubt this raises many ethical debates and falls at the heart of medical law today. This study reviews the various provisions by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists for consent in obstetrics and gynecology as well as the Indian legal provisions in consent.