Ethics of the fiduciary relationship between patient and physician: the case of informed consent.

This paper serves two purposes: first, the proposition of an ethical fiduciary theory that substantiates the often-cited assertion that the patient-physician relationship is fiduciary in nature; and second, the application of this theory to the case of informed consent. Patients' decision-making preferences vary significantly. While some seek fully autonomous decision-making, others prefer to delegate parts of their decision.