Informed consent

Informed consent is central to medical autonomy. Before treatment, healthcare professionals must provide understandable information about diagnosis, proposed intervention, material risks, expected benefits, alternatives and consequences of refusal. In Switzerland, consent may be express or implied depending on the situation, but serious or non-urgent interventions require careful documentation. Patients must have capacity; if they lack it, authorised representatives or advance directives become relevant. Emergency treatment may proceed without prior consent when delay would endanger the patient and presumed wishes support intervention.