Wisconsin Order Concerning Competency or Mental Responsibility Determination

Capacity is a person's ability to make an informed decision. A determination of competency is a judicial finding made by the court. A physician can opine about a patient's capacity, but cannot determine competency. Adults are presumed to have capacity unless determined otherwise by the court.

Communication. Understanding. Appreciation. Rationalization or reasoning.

So who determines whether a person is competent when signing the form? According to California Powers of Attorney and Health Care Directives, published by CEB, the attorney representing a principal in the drafting of a DPOA for financial management typically determines the mental capacity of the client.

Understand information given to them. Retain that information long enough to be able to make the decision. Weigh up the information available to make the decision.

What happens during an evaluation? The psychiatrist reviews all of the defendant's medical and criminal records for behavior patterns or past mental health issues. A sit-down interview can last anywhere from two to six hours depending on the volume of records and how talkative and cooperative the person is.

In addition to performing a mental status examination (along with a physical examination and laboratory evaluation, if needed), four specific abilities should be assessed: the ability to understand information about treatment; the ability to appreciate how that information applies to their situation; the ability to

Competency is a global assessment and legal determination made by a judge in court. Capacity is a functional assessment and a clinical determination about a specific decision that can be made by any clinician familiar with a patient's case.

Capacity is the basis of informed consent. Patients have medical decision-making capacity if they can demonstrate understanding of the situation, appreciation of the consequences of their decision, and reasoning in their thought process, and if they can communicate their wishes.

In addition to performing a mental status examination (along with a physical examination and laboratory evaluation, if needed), four specific abilities should be assessed: the ability to understand information about treatment; the ability to appreciate how that information applies to their situation; the ability to