Scaffolding informed consent

Journal article

Abstract:: The principle of respecting patient autonomy underpins the concept and practice of informed consent. Yet current approaches to consent often ignore the ways in which the exercise of autonomy is deeply epistemically dependent.

In this paper, we draw on philosophical descriptions of autonomy ‘scaffolding’ and apply them to informed consent in medicine. We examine how this relates to other models of the doctor–patient relationship and other theories (eg, the notion of relational autonomy). A focus on scaffolding autonomy reframes the justification for existing ways of supporting decisions. In other cases, it suggests a need to rethink how, when and where professionals obtain consent. It may highlight the benefit of technology for supporting decisions.

Finally, we consider the implications for some high-stakes decisions where autonomy is thought to be critical, for example, termination of pregnancy. We argue that such decisions should not be free from all sources of influence—rather they should be protected from undesired influence.

Files:: Wilkinson_and_Levy_2024_Scaffolding_informed_consent.pdf

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Copyright holder:: Wilkinson and Levy
Rights statement:: © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ Group. This is an open access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Unported (CC BY 4.0) license, which permits others to copy, redistribute, remix, transform and build upon this work for any purpose, provided the original work is properly cited, a link to the licence is given, and indication of whether changes were made.

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