The informed consent of a patient

56 The Informed Consent of a Patient 9. Summary The informed consent of a patient is a fundamental principle of medical law and ethics. Nowadays it is natural that before treatment, the patient must give his consent. This concept of the patient's rights and the principles of their autonomy and self- determination was established during the second half of the 20 th century. During the first half of 20 th century, the relationship between doctor and patient was based on paternalistic grounds. This meant that the doctor was an authority who knew what was best for the patient. The patient was just the object of care; he trusted his doctor and did everything exactly as the doctor said. Doctors were authorities not only in the field of medical care but also in many other areas of the patient's life. There were no lawsuits or complaints against the doctors because of the treatment they provided. After WWII the situation changed when the international conventions of human rights were created. Patients started to decide if they wanted to be treated or not; they started to demand more information about their healthcare, and about the treatments they were receiving. They were no longer just the objects of care, but they now wanted to know what was going to be done with their bodies and to decide whether they wanted..