State supreme court mulls informed consent for undiagnosed conditions

After a Wisconsin court ruled that a physician was negligent for failing to inform a patient about a stroke test after diagnosing him with a condition marked by stroke-like symptoms, the Wisconsin Supreme Court is contemplating informed consent involving conditions for which patients are not diagnosed. Currently, the state's law only requires disclosures about treatment options, not diagnostic tests for every possible condition, reports American Medical News. Healthcare experts warn that having to present treatment options for the full spectrum of undiagnosed conditions could lead to unnecessary health information being given to patients, as well as doctors ordering unneeded tests. Article