Enhancing decision-making capacity assessments in primary care: A practical guide for family physicians

Family physicians play a crucial role in assessing decision-making capacity, yet face challenges because of time constraints and lack of training. This article presents a structured framework to guide these assessments, ensuring ethical and efficient evaluations. By applying key principles-clarifying the decision at hand, assessing understanding, appreciation, reasoning, and expression-physicians can navigate complex cases while balancing patient autonomy with appropriate medical care.