Can a subject consent to a Ulysses contract?
KIE: A case study is presented in which a schizophrenic consents to experimental drug treatment while competent and then refuses the treatment when in a psychotic state. Three commentaries consider the ethical and legal issues involved in permitting informed consent by the mentally ill by means of a “Ulysses contract,” i.e., by agreeing at the time of consent that later refusal of treatment is to be ignored if the patient is no longer competent. The commentators see value in such agreements, provided that safeguards are included to ensure that the patient’s legitimate wishes and interests are not ignored.