The concept of a set of ethics reaches as far back as Hippocrates, who established the Hippocratic Oath.
Other Codes of Ethics have been written and applied during all the years following, right up to relatively recent times.
These Codes of Ethics have been drawn up in response to events, which occurred at certain times and were seen to be unethical. The Code in each case was written to prevent the unethical practice ever recurring.
Each time a Code of Ethics was written, the important principle at the centre of it remained in use in Modern Day Medicine.
Informed Consent is one such Code of Ethics and the key word here is “informed” because it is basically saying that even though the patient signed a consent form, if they did not fully understand what the implications were, then they did not give informed consent.