Decisional Capacity

Topics: Aid to capacity evaluation (ACE) | Capacity | Collaborative care | Decisional Capacity | Dispositional capacity | Free Articles | Medical incapacity hold | Surrogate decision-maker

CHPR: Can you start by telling us what criteria you use to assess capacity? Dr. Cheung: We generally look for evidence of capacity in four domains. These have become the standard criteria for assessing capacity, based on Dr. Paul Appelbaum’s work from many years ago (Appelbaum PS and Grisso T, N Engl J Med 1988;319(25):1635–1638). The domains are:

Capacity Assessment in Pregnant Patients

Topics: Aid to capacity evaluation (ACE) | Capacity | Pregnancy | Surrogate decision-maker

CHPR: In your current roles, you grapple with complex clinical situations, and one that is particularly difficult involves the treatment of pregnant mentally ill women who lack capacity to make decisions regarding obstetric care. Can you tell us how you approach these patients? Dr. Syed: We start with understanding that a patient doesn’t necessarily