What are the three groups of people who cannot provide consent for medical treatment according to the chapter?

The three groups of people who cannot provide consent for medical treatment are minors, individuals who are unconscious or unable to give consent due to injury, and people with mental illnesses judged to be incompetent.

In the United States, there are specific groups of individuals who are legally unable to provide consent for medical treatment. These include minors, who generally require a parent or guardian to provide consent, although there are exceptions for certain medical treatments and emancipated minors. The second group comprises individuals who are unconscious or injured to the extent that they cannot give consent, where consent may be implied in emergencies or obtained from a close relative. The third group includes people with mental illnesses who have been deemed incompetent by professionals, with consent typically provided by a legal guardian or representative.