Informed consent as a narrative continuum

Abstract

Informed consent (IC) is generally understood as a statement, usually written, by which a person freely and informedly agrees to undergo a certain medical procedure. Recently, Tunzi et al. (2021) have proposed a new model of IC for primary medical care, which they call "the consent continuum" (CC), which offers an alternative to the current state of how IC is obtained. They argue that their model "honors patient autonomy, meets legal obligations, and improves patient care and satisfaction in a manner that is both transparent and pragmatic" (Tunzi et al. 2021:35). I propose to critically review their proposal and argue that this continuum model can be strengthened by framing it within a narrative approach and conceiving of the physician-patient relationship (PMR) under such an approach.