Giving Consent Is Not an Exercise of Autonomy

A surprising example is that a lot of people who take part in clinical trials of new drugs don't know which arm they're in. You may be so keen to try the new drug that you just forget about the design of the trial or don't listen. I can see another role for the acts of giving consent or being encouraged to give consent is to open up a dialogue. Otherwise there's a risk that you'll just be treated by somebody who knows better than you what the right treatment is.