What is the difference between a waiver and informed consent?

• A. Informed consent relinquishes a right or claim; a waiver is permission for a specific procedure after information.
• B. Informed consent is permission for a specific procedure after information; a waiver relinquishes a right or claim, not an informed permission to medical care.
• C. A waiver is a detailed explanation of risks; informed consent is a mere agreement to comply.
• D. They are the same thing.

Answer: (B)

Informed consent means agreeing to a medical procedure after being informed of the risks, benefits, and alternatives; it is about giving permission to treatment based on understanding. A waiver, by contrast, is a voluntary relinquishment of a known right or claim, often releasing someone from liability, and it does not authorize medical care. For example, you might sign informed consent to undergo a surgery after the doctor explains what could happen and what other options exist. A waiver would be signing away the right to sue for damages, not agreeing to undergo care. So the best distinction is that informed consent is permission to proceed with care after information, while a waiver is giving up a legal right or claim.