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''A 40-year old schizophrenic patient needs hernia repair. Surgeon discussed the procedure with the patient who
understood the procedure. Can the patient give consent? ''
If someone has schizophrenia i believe they are deemed to not have sufficient capacity. However if they understand the information and can make use of it - do they have sufficient capacity?
understood the procedure. Can the patient give consent? ''
If someone has schizophrenia i believe they are deemed to not have sufficient capacity. However if they understand the information and can make use of it - do they have sufficient capacity?
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#2
(Original post by qwerty123A)
''A 40-year old schizophrenic patient needs hernia repair. Surgeon discussed the procedure with the patient who
understood the procedure. Can the patient give consent? ''
If someone has schizophrenia i believe they are deemed to not have sufficient capacity. However if they understand the information and can make use of it - do they have sufficient capacity?
''A 40-year old schizophrenic patient needs hernia repair. Surgeon discussed the procedure with the patient who
understood the procedure. Can the patient give consent? ''
If someone has schizophrenia i believe they are deemed to not have sufficient capacity. However if they understand the information and can make use of it - do they have sufficient capacity?
Schizophrenia certainly does not mean that the patient automatically does not have capacity.
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#3
(Original post by qwerty123A)
''A 40-year old schizophrenic patient needs hernia repair. Surgeon discussed the procedure with the patient who
understood the procedure. Can the patient give consent? ''
If someone has schizophrenia i believe they are deemed to not have sufficient capacity. However if they understand the information and can make use of it - do they have sufficient capacity?
''A 40-year old schizophrenic patient needs hernia repair. Surgeon discussed the procedure with the patient who
understood the procedure. Can the patient give consent? ''
If someone has schizophrenia i believe they are deemed to not have sufficient capacity. However if they understand the information and can make use of it - do they have sufficient capacity?
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(Original post by ForestCat)
Capacity is determined on a decision by decision basis and at the outset a person is always assumed to have capacity. If a patient can retain, understand and repeat the information required to make a decision then they have capacity to make that decision. It may not necessarily be one the physician agrees with but the patient does not have to explain their reasoning.
Schizophrenia certainly does not mean that the patient automatically does not have capacity.
Capacity is determined on a decision by decision basis and at the outset a person is always assumed to have capacity. If a patient can retain, understand and repeat the information required to make a decision then they have capacity to make that decision. It may not necessarily be one the physician agrees with but the patient does not have to explain their reasoning.
Schizophrenia certainly does not mean that the patient automatically does not have capacity.

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#5
(Original post by qwerty123A)
''A 40-year old schizophrenic patient needs hernia repair. Surgeon discussed the procedure with the patient who
understood the procedure. Can the patient give consent? ''
If someone has schizophrenia i believe they are deemed to not have sufficient capacity. However if they understand the information and can make use of it - do they have sufficient capacity?
''A 40-year old schizophrenic patient needs hernia repair. Surgeon discussed the procedure with the patient who
understood the procedure. Can the patient give consent? ''
If someone has schizophrenia i believe they are deemed to not have sufficient capacity. However if they understand the information and can make use of it - do they have sufficient capacity?
Having capacity to consent to having your blood taken is very different to having capacity to agreeing to a risky, major operation for example. It's not that a person does or does not 'have capacity'. Having capacity is also dependent on the complexity of the decision being considered and can change over time.
With the schizophrenia, again there is a huge spectrum of capacity/incapacity. A patient may have the diagnosis but be in a period of remission or relative remission. They may be well enough to make xyz decision one day but then lack the capacity to make the same decision a month later depending on their clinical status.
As already mentioned, the basic acid tests are these:
Assume an adult has capacity unless reason to doubt it.
If in doubt, with a particular decision in mind, can they:
1. Receive the information
2. Understand it
3. Retain it and weigh up the pros and cons
4. Communicate their decision
A decision need not be 'wise' or in concordance with your own beliefs, but so as long as the above has been met, you must respect that decision.
In this particular case, you would need more information. But in the context of a simple little MCQ, the fact that it says the patient "has understood", it's prompting you to say that yes they do have capacity despite their schizophrenia.
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#6
(Original post by qwerty123A)
Ah thanks for clearing that up for me
The NHS website isnt really as straight to the point.
Ah thanks for clearing that up for me

This is a good resource for ethics, plus more straight to the point: http://ministryofethics.co.uk/?p=6
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(Original post by Asklepios)
I doubt you'd find much useful information on the NHS website, plus it'll be full of waffle
This is a good resource for ethics, plus more straight to the point: http://ministryofethics.co.uk/?p=6
I doubt you'd find much useful information on the NHS website, plus it'll be full of waffle
This is a good resource for ethics, plus more straight to the point: http://ministryofethics.co.uk/?p=6
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