The legal term for giving formal permission for care is

• A. Implied consent
• B. Consent
• C. Assent
• D. Authorization

Answer: (B)

Consent is the legal permission for receiving medical care. It represents a formal agreement by a patient to treatment, grounded in the patient’s capacity to decide, the provision of adequate information about the procedure, risks, benefits, and alternatives, and voluntary agreement without coercion. Implied consent isn’t a formal, explicit agreement; it’s permission inferred from actions or, in emergencies, from the necessity to act when the patient can’t respond. Assent is an agreement given by someone who cannot legally consent (like a child) but doesn’t meet the legal standard of consent. Authorization refers to granting permission for specific actions or disclosures, but the formal, legally recognized permission for care is consent.