Try: Decisional capacity can be defined as the ability of care recipients cr to make their own health care decisions decision-making capacity should not be confused with the legal concept of competence they are two distinct terms for the cr’s medical and legal purposes incompetence is a legal determination made by a court of law while the court may consider information about a cr’s decision-making capacity in making a competency determination the terms are not synonymous for example someone who is judged legally incompetent to handle their financial affairs may retain sufficient decision-making capacity to make meaningful decisions about medical treatment also crs who have normal cognitive functioning may be put into circumstances where their decision-making capacity is temporarily impaired by severe pain or overwhelming anxiety or confusion decision-making capacity is generally situation-specific thus a person may have capacity to consent to a low-risk activity or procedure in normal circumstances but not have the capacity to consent to a high-risk procedure when he is confused or under duress information references www irb ucsd edu
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Categories: Cognitive Intellectual, Communication, Medical Physical
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Keywords: Capacity decision making
*This information is listed as a Fact Sheet and is not explicitly medically licensed