[Clinical appropriateness and informed consent in the Italian hospitals. Juridical problems and safeguard of patient's and physician's rights].

The clinical-legal assumption underlying the therapeutic alliance is to ensure the patient wellbeing by improving quality standards and appropriateness of healthcare services and procedures provided by hospital facilities. Therapeutic alliance, clinical decision-making and clinical and organizational appropriateness should translate legally into a common denominator, i.e. the informed consent. The legal implications of informed consent allow to distinguish clearly appropriate and legitimate healthcare provision from arbitrary therapeutic interventions. A patient informed consent requires adequate and timely information to be provided by the treating physician (or medical personnel), and represents the starting point from which to protect the right to health as well as the patient's right to decide about treatment. The informed consent process may and/or should also contribute to safeguard the physician's right to practice quite his profession.