Clinical Research and Informed Consent

While availing opportunity for the participants to raise questions to continuously remain informed is beneficial throughout the process, it is important that the physicians hold in equal balance, the emphasis on ‘informed’ and ‘consent’ on the part of the patients. If the patients are unable to understand the consequences of the health decisions and cannot properly communicate issues reflecting of their health care, the decision-making capacity is shifted. If this is the case, an advance directive is a necessary legal requirement to avoid litigation. An advance directive designates an individual/s to make health decisions on behalf of the patient on trial should he lack that capacity, or the patients leaves a living will that describes the amount and type of treatment (Shapiro, 2015).