INFORMED CONSENT AND THE PATIENTS OF BANGLADESH

Abstract

In medical practice, informed consent plays a vital role in making ethical decisions. In recent years, informed consent also appears to be a key issue in biomedical discussion. Several definitions of informed consent have already been proposed. However, the socio-economic conditions of different countries are not the same. Many countries differ culturally as well as in literacy rate. Therefore, a unified concept of informed consent might not be justified in every context. This paper discusses the importance of informed consent, different views regarding informed consent and the limitations of applying one single idea of informed consent in every context. It argues that the most plausible concept of informed consent which is achievable for developing countries, like Bangladesh, is based on care ethics. The paper concludes that informed consent could be a ‘natural outcome’ and is really not a barrier in the patient-physician relationship if the idea is seen from the perspective of care ethics.