Question

What are the 4 criterion commonly used to evaluate a patient’s mental capacity regarding medical decisions? Provide an example of each.

Answer 1

To evaluate patient mental capacity psychiatrist mainly use four criterion.In thic criterion psychiatrist use to test four things about patient ability to 1.Understand alternatives : Patient can able to understand what are the alternatives for present treatment. Example :If patient taking treatment for chronic pain ,he can able to know what are the know alternative treatment methods for pain other than medications like acupuncture ,diversion therapy. 2.Appreciate how these alternatives apply to him or herself. Example Patient can able to tell what are the uses and is this alternative help patient to reduce pain. How it works. 3.Reason regarding these alternatives. Example patient can know why this alternative recommend for patient .patient can state due to medication side effects are increasing so doctor prescribed this alternative. 4.Express a choice. By this four indicators psychiatrist evaluate patient mental capacity.