Informed Consent by Well-Nigh Abject Adults

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Abstract
Society has become increasingly restless with the paternalistic attitudes of professional experts. The courts, reflecting the values of society, have increasingly reinforced the principle of self-determination as enunciated by Cardozo: "Every human being of adult years and sound mind has a right to determine what shall be done with his own body."1 Physicians are consultants to patients, but patients, not physicians, must finally decide for themselves where their best interests lie. The ordinary patient, whose "dependence upon the physician for information affecting his well-being, in terms of contemplated treatment, is wellnigh abject,"2 cannot possibly make a reasoned decision without being . . .

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