Consultation-Liaison Psychiatrists are experienced in responding to requests from medical services for the determination of decisional capacity (DC). General psychiatrists are occasionally called upon to perform decisional capacity determinations, especially when functioning in a consultation-liaison role. Some may not have extensive prior or current experience in decisional capacity determinations.

In recent years, there has been a significant amount of clinical research literature on DC, particularly in a consultation-liaison clinical context. As such, having a review of the recent literature leading to an evidence-based, standardized approach to DC determinations is of pragmatic value to the general psychiatrist.