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Medicine vocabulary · Patient Communication

Capacity

Meaning in medicine, with examples

/kəˈpæsəti/nounAdvanced term

In medicine, capacity means: A patient's ability to understand, remember and weigh up information about a decision and to communicate their choice.

In Turkish: karar verme yetisi, ayırt etme gücü

How it is used

Doctors assess capacity for a specific decision at a specific time, for example consent to surgery. In England and Wales this follows the Mental Capacity Act 2005. A person is assumed to have capacity unless shown otherwise, and an unwise decision alone does not mean they lack it.

Example sentences

  1. He lacks capacity to make this decision because of his delirium, so we'll act in his best interests.

  2. She has capacity and has decided to refuse the operation.

Common collocations

  • assess capacity
  • lack capacity
  • have capacity
  • capacity assessment
  • in their best interests
  • informed consentA patient's agreement to a treatment or procedure, given after the doctor has explained what it involves, its benefits, its risks and the alternatives.
  • dementiaA group of progressive brain conditions that gradually affect memory, thinking, behaviour and the ability to manage daily life.
  • confusionA state in which a person cannot think clearly, is disoriented in time or place, or cannot follow what is happening around them.
  • next of kinThe person a patient names as their closest relative or contact, whom the hospital will call in an emergency.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Patient Communication

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.