Advanced
Technical
IVT
capacity evaluation
Assessment of a patient's ability to make informed medical decisions during psychiatric crisis.
Full Definition
Capacity evaluation determines whether patients can understand their medical condition, appreciate consequences of treatment decisions, reason about options, and communicate a choice. In emergency psychiatry, capacity assessment is crucial for determining whether patients can consent to or refuse treatment. Patients may lack capacity due to psychosis, severe depression, mania, or cognitive impairment. Capacity is decision-specific and may fluctuate with clinical status. Documentation must specify the evaluated decision and factors affecting capacity.
Usage
Usage note: Distinguish from competency, which is a legal determination made by courts.
In Context
- "Capacity evaluation revealed impaired ability to appreciate risks of refusing psychiatric medication." — consultation report
- "The patient demonstrated capacity for discharge planning despite ongoing mood symptoms." — clinical assessment
Also known as
decision-making capacity assessment
Contrasted with
incapacity determination
Don't confuse with
competency evaluation
insight assessment