Essay - Informed Consent Analyze the Legal Issues Related to Informed Consent...

informed consent

Analyze the legal issues related to informed ***** and refusal

The doctrine of informed consent arises in a number of questions in ***** legal profession, particularly as it relates ***** the ***** or acceptance of medical treatment. Three elements are required to validate decisions regarding medical treatment. "The decision must be knowledgeable...the treatment provider must have disclosed relevant information to the prospective patient," such as side effects, it must be voluntary in that the "decision made of the patient's own free will without undue coercion or pressure," and ***** decision-maker must ***** *****ly competent ***** make the decision (not mentally h*****icapped, not incapacitated by drugs ***** alcohol at the time, and in many instances ***** a minor) (Rosenfeld 2002).

Evalu*****e the legal ***** associated with assessment, testing, and diagnosis in professional psychology.

When assessing an individual, even if hired as an expert witness for one side of a p*****rticular c*****e, the psychologist must not function as a partisan, ***** must be well-justified in his or her articulated professional beliefs ***** an *****, contrary to that of an at*****rney who only presents his client's case and has no responsibility to present the ot***** side ***** the issue (Saunders 2009). To ***** an ethical *****, the ***** ***** n***** be influen*****d *****, for example, potential compensation (such as funding by a drug company) when diagnosing and prescribing a tre*****tment for a patient, or reporting upon the efficacy of a treatment.

***** feedback ***** psychologist or she gives must be b*****ed upon empirical evidence, and the tests he or she uses ***** be established for their validity ***** reliability within the profession as a whole and administered in an appropriate m*****ner. The appearance of conflicts of interest must be avoided. When ***** a minor, it is essenti*****l to ***** the consent of the p*****nts or other ***** parties in charge of the child's welfare.

Expla***** the importance ***** maintaining confidential*****y in the therapeutic relationship

Without the *****surance of confidentiality, many individuals would refuse to seek ***** of any kind, hence the ***** ***** ***** in psychological treatment. According to ***** principle of confidentiality, the psychotherapist cannot reveal what was said during a session, even if the individual reveals he or s***** committed a crime. Only ***** the ***** i***** "eng*****ged *****n criminal activity which jeopardizes ***** life or safety of others" ***** a ***** session can the ***** reveal what ***** *****en said ***** the authorities (Lloyd *****). Criminal ***** includes a reasonable suspicion ***** individual may commit suicide as well as threats against another person. In some states such as California, the *****rapist must ***** suspected elder or child abuse. In the case of children, parents or ***** court (if the child is a ward ***** the court) hold the privilege of nondisclosure ***** what is said during ***** therapeutic session (***** 2009). Other than this, the patient speaks on the assumption that what he or she says is confidential, and this assumption must be hon*****ed.

Evaluate the impact of