Abstract
Following a summary of the American legal doctrine of informed consent and its ethical underpinnings and a description of the risk management reasons that health care providers should comply with the legal requirements associated with this doctrine, this article presents a preliminary argument for an additional incentive for such compliance. Specifically, this article enunciates the outline of a business case for informed consent in health care in the United States, urging by analogy to the widely advocated business case for quality and safety in health care that more conscientious adherence to the principles of informed consent will serve the self-interests of health care providers trying to maintain financial viability within an increasingly competitive marketplace for patients.
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