IndexAbstractIntroductionHistory of informed consentPrinciples of informed consentGuidelines for the practice of informed consentImplications for public healthConclusionReferencesAbstractInformed consent is a doctrine that has developed and evolved over the last two centuries into a solid healthcare practice. Informed consent has an extensive history dating back to ancient Greece but today it is a topic of enormous importance in the field of public health. For a long time it was believed that patients should leave all decision making to doctors and surgeons. This has caused a lot of harm and undue stress on individuals over the years. From these cases of negligence and negligence (which was once a common practice), this new doctrine was born, adopted and spread throughout the healthcare community. There are three guiding principles: respect for autonomy, justice and charity. Whether it is a doctor treating a patient in hospital or a medical researcher conducting HIV prevention research, informed consent must always be part of the methods and procedures. It has now become a primary goal of some researchers and public health professionals to ensure that not only is information disseminated before any major action is taken, but that information is fully digested and understood by the subject before treatment is administered. plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay IntroductionInformed consent is a fundamental principle of public health, law, social and behavioral sciences, and even philosophy (Medline Plus, 2017). The history and evolution of informed consent is vast and potentially overwhelming, but it represents an absolutely necessary and important aspect of the public health and medical community. Informed consent is loosely defined as transparent communication between a professional and a patient regarding the possible consequences of treatment to the fullest and safest extent possible (CDC, 2019). Breaking it down further, consent is permission for something to happen or happen. The principle of informed consent is based on effective communication between professionals and patients. There are strict guidelines that outline appropriate actions for obtaining informed consent, as well as principles that help define its importance. This article will delve into the history of the topic, while also outlining the principles and guidelines to truly grasp the gravity of informed consent as a public health concept. History of Informed Consent For thousands of years, dating back to ancient Greece, informed consent was irrelevant to the healthcare field (Murray, n.d.). It was often considered undesirable or unimportant for patients to participate in medical treatment decision-making (Clayton, Lorenz, Wolf, 2018). It was understood that while doctors had to inspire confidence in the patient in the procedure they were undergoing, they were not required to reveal the possible outcomes, negative or positive, of the procedures because the unknown could lead to mistrust towards the patient. the doctor by the patient. Well into the age of the Enlightenment a certain air of deception was included in the healthcare process (Murray, n.d.). The concept of informed consent did not take hold until the 20th century. This was a period of contentious legislation and discussion, leading to the foundation of informed consent as we know it today. In the case of Luka v. Lowrie in 1912, a young boy received an emergency leg amputation after the surgeon consulted other doctors. , but did not consult the parents about this before carrying out the procedure. The court isruled in favor of the doctors, but this case marked the first informed consent case to be brought to court. The case that has probably had the greatest impact on the doctrine of informed consent is Schoendorff v. Society of New York Hospital. Supreme Court Justice Benjamin Cardozo argued that every human being has the right to decide what to do with or about his or her own body. He believed that any surgeon who operated with consent should be held liable for damages. These fractious battles continued throughout the 20th century, leading to the expansion and potential acceptance of informed consent as a doctrine of health and medicine (Murray, n.d.). Initially, the strongest resistance came from doctors, but with the support of the public and the Supreme Court, informed consent was made common practice. Over the years there have been many cases where informed consent has been completely ignored or has not been purely practiced. The infamous Tuskegee syphilis experiment was a prime example of the absence of informed consent in healthcare and medical procedures. The US public service conducted what is now considered an extremely unethical study lasting 40 years starting in 1932. They wanted to observe untreated syphilis, but the participants were not told their true intent and many people died as a result. This is one of many unethical studies where informed consent was compromised. Research studies, like other medical treatments and operations, also now require informed consent. Actions like those that occurred at Tuskegee during that 40-year period are frowned upon by the research and healthcare community today. Principles of Informed Consent In the context of informed consent, there are three main guiding principles. Respect for autonomy is the first and probably the best known principle. In the Western world, personal freedom is so emphasized and required that respect for autonomy is often the principle that guides many discussions when the rules of informed consent appear to be broken (Burr & Gibson, 2017). The freedom to choose and make your own choices is an essential human right held in high regard in the United States. There is a huge emphasis between simply being autonomous and having your autonomy respected. Charity is seen as promoting a person's well-being (Burr & Gibson, 2017). It can be defined as the value of benefiting the person and ultimately not causing them any harm, if possible. This can be seen as the treatment, removal or prevention of pain by a healthcare professional if possible. The outcomes and risks of the procedures must always be weighed against the benefits for the subjects and also the public interest in general. Justice is the last of the three principles. This principle is based on social cooperation. Justice requires that people be treated with what is right, due, or owed (Burr & Gibson, 2017). There should be no denial of any necessary service if the person is owed it, and this also works the other way around, where no service should be provided unless requested or deemed necessary. The main argument relevant to informed consent is that it would be deemed unfair for a doctor to deny vital care and information to a patient who needs it. Guidelines for the Practice of Informed Consent The American Medical Association has outlined strict guidelines that must be followed to obtain informed consent. be achieved effectively and correctly. The individual must be assessed for his or her ability to understand medical jargon and the implications of treatment options in order for him or her to make his or her own voluntary decision. Theinformation must be presented to the subject accurately and sensitively. The clinician should always ensure that they include the most up-to-date information about the diagnoses, purpose, and potential outcomes of possible interventions, and this should always include the healthcare burden involved in these different intervention options (American Medical Association, 2019). For legal reasons, informed consent must be documented. This includes the conversation had between the professional and the subject, but should ultimately conclude with the patient's specific written informed consent before undertaking any medical or healthcare intervention. Public Health Implications The issue of informed consent is still as important and relevant today as it was in years past during its rise to acceptance and expectations. The principle of informed consent is extremely important particularly in the field of public health. The spread of HIV has brought informed consent to the forefront of public health policy design. Informed consent attempts to ensure that subjects have free choice regarding their health and also that healthcare providers act responsibly according to their licenses (Goldman, Hunt, Kole, 2018). The quality of patient understanding is an issue that public health professionals have begun to focus on to improve the practice of informed consent. A study was recently conducted in Africa to test the effectiveness of informed consent counseling offered to individuals at high risk of contracting HIV. They found that understanding of the problem was not significantly improved through counseling and that many individuals now no longer knew much about the disease that afflicted them and so many others within their community. This led to the conclusion that much of what was being done in terms of treatment and prevention was actually done without informed and voluntary consent. While researchers and professionals offered information and training to understand the disease, the public did not grasp the concept and severity of the problem, and many women felt they were being pressured into the testing process. Therefore, any decisions made about their HIV health could not have conformed to informed consent guidelines. Conclusion This is just one of many examples of how the public health community is focusing on informed consent. From here they can develop and identify new ways of disseminating information about HIV. Perhaps there is a language barrier that is disrupting medical jargon, or perhaps it is more of a cultural issue that prevents consent from being truly informed and voluntary. Informed consent, while extremely necessary, is not yet a perfect science. There is still much work to be done to ensure that all doctors, professionals and researchers provide accurate, quality information, and also that all subjects and patients actually absorb that information before making important healthcare decisions. Please note: This is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay The field of health has come a long way from thinking that medical and healthcare decisions should be decided only by doctors, but it still has a long way to go. The twentieth century provided the greatest leap in knowledge and implementation of the doctrine, and now, in the twenty-first century, attention should be turned to further improving patient-physician communication and understanding. The principles laid out encourage basic implementation and have proven effective in guiding interaction. Build on these. 2.