Informed consent——知情同意、告知后同意、患者的

agreement to do something or to allow something to happen only after all the relevant facts are known. In contracts， an agreement may be reached only if there has been full disclosure by both parties of everything each party knows which is significant to the agreement. A patient's consent to a medical procedure must be based on his/her having been told all the possible consequences， except in emergency cases when such consent cannot be obtained. In criminal law， a person accused or even suspected of a crime cannot give up his/her legal rights such as remaining silent or having an attorney， unless he/she has been fully informed of his/her rights.

　　【注】 根据《布莱克法律辞典》，informed consent（知情后同意）含义是：“（1）某人在对充分了解所涉风险及选择后同意让某事发生。对于律师执业来说，知情后同意在《执业行为模范规则》中规定。（2）医生或其他保健服务提供者作为医疗机构中尽合理谨慎的人，就建议的治疗方案或疗程所涉风险向患者披露信息后，患者了解了关于该治疗方案或疗程的选择，然后作出同意的表示。知情后同意也称为知道后同意（knowing consent）。”

　　『笺』 Informed consent doctrine（知情后同意法则），主张病人是医疗的主体而非客体，医师应该尊重病人之自主权，医疗措施要得到病人之告知後同意；医师应该将重要之医疗资讯，如病情、可能的治疗方案、各方案之治癒率、可能之并发症、副作用，以及不治疗之後果等资讯与病人分享，以帮助病人选择最适合病人生活价值之医疗方案。「告知後同意法则」乃是建立在病人的自主权（patient autonomy）此一上位概念上。其基本精神正如美国大法官卡多佐（Justice Benjamin Cardozo）於1914年所言：“每一个心智健全之成年人都有权利决定其身体要接受何种之处置。”（“Every human being of adult years and sound mind has a right to determine what shall be done with his own body.”）