Capacity to Consent in Acutely Intoxicated Emergency Department Patients

The ability to meaningfully consent intoxicated and chemically dependent patients for research has inhibited medical advances in this vulnerable population. A recent pilot supported use of the University of California, San Diego Brief Assessment of Capacity to Consent tool to assess the capacity of intoxicated emergency department patients to participate in research. The objective is to determine the number of intoxicated emergency department patients who could correctly complete the questionnaire, and evaluate alcohol concentration, sedation and ability to recall participation upon sobriety.