Practical Issues of Consent for Medical Treatment

Abstract

This article addresses the legal and practical issues concerning consent for medical treatment. Although the principles on consent are recognized in Sections 8 and 12 of the National Health Act B.E. 2550 and Section 21 of the Mental Health Act 2008, there are some legal and practical issues that require further interpretation and explanation including the age of the person giving consent, the consciousness of the person giving consent, the decisions whether to accept or refuse medical treatment based on personal beliefs, the decision whether to receive psychiatric care, the denial of medical treatment, euthanasia, the exceptions to the principle of consent for medical treatment on the grounds of age, mental disorder, emergency care, or the case where the patient cannot be informed, and the case relatives giving consent instead of unconscious patients.
This article suggests the interpretation and explanation of the legal and practical issues on the consent for medical treatment incorporating academic views, medical aspects, and recognized guidelines for medical practice, including the declaration of rights and practices of patients and guidelines for providing information on medical services and patient consent. The author intends to provide the interpretation as appropriate for the practitioners in the field of public health