A parent who authorizes healthcare decisions for a child is practicing which concept?

• A. Informed Consent
• B. Authorized Consent
• C. Advance Directives
• D. Civil Action

Answer: (B)

The main concept is authorized (surrogate) consent. When a child cannot legally consent for themselves, a parent or guardian is empowered to authorize medical treatment on the child’s behalf. The healthcare provider informs the parent about options, risks, benefits, and alternatives, and the parent’s consent stands in for the child’s lack of capacity. It’s different from informed consent, which requires the patient themselves to agree after understanding the information; for minors, the parent provides that consent. Advance directives are pre-stated preferences for future scenarios by the patient, not about who can authorize care for a child. Civil action is about legal action unrelated to approving treatment.