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Patients must give informed consent prior to medical treatment

On Behalf of | Feb 14, 2019 | Medical Malpractice |

There are many things that people in Hawaii do not know how to do. So, when they need help with those things they seek the assistance of professionals in that field who are trained to perform those types of work. If people need help with their plumbing, they call plumbers or go to car mechanics when their car breaks down. They also go to doctors when they have medical problems. Doctors go through extensive training so they are knowledgeable in a wide variety of procedures and diagnoses.

While much of this information is known to the doctors, most people who need the help do not understand it at all. Therefore, doctors must provide the information about the procedures in a manner they can understand prior to performing and medical procedures. Doctors need to explain why they want to do a certain procedure and the basics of how the procedure will be performed. They also need to explain the desired outcome of the procedure and any risks or side effects associated with the procedure. They also need to explain the patient’s alternative options to the proposed procedure and what could happen with the alternatives.

After explaining all this information, the doctor then needs to obtain the patient’s consent to proceed. The only exception to that rule is if there is an emergency situation and there is not enough time to obtain informed consent from the patient. If the doctor does not explain all the information stated above and something goes wrong with the procedure, they may have committed medical malpractice and the patient may be able to obtain compensation from the doctor for the damages caused by proceeding with a certain procedure.

People in Hawaii go to the doctor from time to time. The hope is that they can avoid them as much as possible, but at some point in time if they want to maintain their health, they will most likely need some medical attention. However, prior to receiving the treatment, they must have all the information needed to decide whether they want a certain procedure. People have a final say on almost all non-emergency procedures. Experienced attorneys understand these requirements and may be a useful resource.

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