Abstract
Patient's informed consent is nowadays a necessary part of any provision of health services. It is an act with very broad context that is not only legal, although that is how it is currently largely perceived.
Despite relatively extensive literature on the topic, problems associated with applying the informed consent in medical practice are considerable. The Way in which informed consent is applied in most cases became merely an administrative act that completely moved away from its original purpose and meaning.
This publication summarizes issues of informed consent in the broadest contexts - ethical, legal, psychological and clinical. It focuses not only on general ethical and legal themes, but also analyses the specifics of informed consent in a number of medical themes, or focuses on specific topics on the practical level - e.g. informed consent in children, seniors, people with sensory impairments, etc.
The present publication is currently the most comprehensive work about this important subject and it is intended not only for doctors and health professionals, but also for professionals in other related subjects.