The Canterbury v Spence case is associated with which standard of informed consent?

• A. Best interest standard
• B. Reasonable person standard
• C. Paternalism standard
• D. Minimal disclosure standard

Answer: (B)

Informed consent rests on patient autonomy: disclosure of information a reasonable person would need to decide about a treatment. Canterbury v. Spence established that physicians have a duty to disclose material risks that a reasonable person would consider significant, making the standard objective and patient-centered rather than physician-centered. This shift emphasizes what a typical patient would want to know to make an informed choice, rather than what the doctor alone believes is appropriate. It supports autonomy by ensuring patients receive information that could influence their decision, not just what the physician thinks should be disclosed. Other approaches that rely on the physician’s own judgment or on minimal disclosure don’t fit this framework, because Canterbury requires providing information that a reasonable person would find important in weighing options.