The role of psychology in the teaching of medical ethics: the example of informed consent.

Over the past two decades, psychology has become well established in the medical curriculum. This paper argues that it has much to say about ethical issues, particularly informed consent. Because psychology addresses such areas as providing information, ensuring understanding of this information, identifying situations in which coercion occurs and assessing competence, its inclusion in the curriculum is justified on ethical as well as scientific grounds. This has several implications, including the allocation of resources, collaboration with health and clinical psychologists and the timing of the teaching.