Informed consent

Potential barriers to gaining Informed consent:

1. It can be difficult to gauge how much information is required, how the information is given and when
2. The individual’s ability to understand the information given may be affected by their clinical condition, the way in which the information is given, the environment in which they are told, other information previously given, other contextual issues
3. Many factors can affect the individual’s mental capacity, such as their clinical condition, mental state, memory, communication skills.
4. It is easy for individuals to be pressured or forced into giving consent; others can influence or prejudice individuals into agreeing to treatments when they do not really want to consent.