Informed Consent in Doctor-Pacient Relationship

  • Wanderson Lago Vaz Cesumar
  • Clayton Reis Cesumar

Abstract

The informed consent has great importance in assess the medical liability. It legitimizes the doctor’s activities. Its obtaining is compulsory, except in cases of therapeutic privilege, compulsory treatment and renouncement to the right to information. These are the assumptions of validity of informed consent: capacity, information and free informed consent. The doctor must inform all the risks, benefits or alternatives from surgical and therapeutic treatment that the patient will be submitted. The information must be transmitted according to the patient’s level of knowledge, it means, in a comprehensible way. The patient then, consciously, will have real conditions to authorize or not the treatment. It is recommended a written informed consent, even being free, to avoid future lawsuits. The consent can be annulled at any time, as well as be partial consented. The doctor has the onus of proof in proving the obtained consent (Consumer's Defense Code, article 6º, item VIII) leaving the patient only the proof of existing any vice of consent. The simple lack of informed consent leads to doctor’s responsibility, even in serendipitous case or external force, once he/she has assumed the risk. Even with the obtained consent, the doctor will respond legally when acting with guilt. The doctor will be exempted of responsibility by the absence of consent only in exceptional cases.

Author Biographies

Wanderson Lago Vaz, Cesumar
Mestrando em Direito pelo Centro Universitário de Maringá – CESUMAR; Especialista em Direito Civil e Processo Civil lato sensu pela Universidade Paranaense – UNIPAR.
Clayton Reis, Cesumar
Docente do Curso de Mestrado em Direito pelo CESUMAR – Centro Universitário de Maringá; Docente da Graduação e do Mestrado em Direito das FIC - Faculdades Integradas de Curitiba; Docente da Graduação e Especialização da Universidade Tuiuti do Paraná; Docente da Escola da Magistratura do Paraná; Doutor e Mestre em Direito em Relações Negociais pela UFPR - Universidade Federal do Paraná; Especialista em Responsabilidade Civil pela UEM; Membro da Academia Paraense de Letras Jurídicas; Magistrado Aposentado do Tribunal de Justiça do Paraná.
Published
2008-01-02
Section
Doutrinas