Patient Rights and Informed Consent

Patient rights and informed consent are the protections that let people understand and control the care they receive. They include the right to be told about options and risks and to accept or refuse treatment. Doctors, hospitals, courts, and state and federal law all shape them.

People usually bring questions about what a patient must be told before treatment and when they may say no. They ask how minors are treated, how living wills and do-not-resuscitate orders work, and how religious beliefs can affect care. They also ask who decides when a patient cannot decide alone.