Journal of Law and Health Volume 1 Issue 1 Article 6 1985 Patients, Agents, and Informed Consent Joram Graf Haber Long Island University Follow this and additional works at: https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/jlh Part of the Health Law and Policy Commons How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! Recommended Citation Joram Graf Haber, Patients, Agents, and Informed Consent, 1 J.L. & Health 43 (1985-1987) This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at EngagedScholarship@CSU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Law and Health by an authorized editor of EngagedScholarship@CSU. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. PATIENTS, AGENTS, AND INFORMED CONSENT JORAM GRAF HABER* I. INTRODUCTION ............................................................ 43 II. THE "PATIENT" AND THE AGENT ..................................... 46 III. HETERONOMY AND THE AUTONOMOUS AGENT ..................... 48 IV. Two STANDARDS OF DISCLOSURE ..................................... 50 V. THE PHYSICIAN'S VIEW: THE HETERONOMOUS "PATIENT" . ...... 52 VI. PURGING THE MEDICAL VOCABULARY ................................ 55 V II. C ONCLUSION .............................................................. 59 I. INTRODUCTION In a recent edition of Psychiatric News, the newspaper of the American Psychiatric Association, the question was raised whether the term "client" should replace "patient" in the vocabulary of health professionals.' Proponents of the change felt "patient" connotes passivity and fosters the illusion that one has little or no responsibility for one's actions in the therapeutic setting. Opponents of the change felt that the issue was one of mere semantics, and that in any event, the term "patient" is so deeply entrenched in how physicians relate to those who seek help as to make replacing it impractical.