Historically a patient consent for health care was not a priority, it was primarily up to the physician to proceed with a surgery at his discretion. In “Informed Consent to Medical and Surgical Treatment” Christopher White, Arnold Rosoff, and Theodore LeBlang, explain a few ways patient consent has evolved over the years. Since malpractice litigation was becoming a big issue in the seventies and eighties, providers had to make sure that they were protected in such cases. Years ago, Care givers were being charged with assault for giving care without consent, luckily the courts have changed the way they handle such cases, now they would be charged with negligence instead.
