🩺 Patient Autonomy
Law 23 of 1981 ("Medical Ethics Law") establishes that no physician shall clinically or surgically intervene on a patient without their prior authorization.
Informed consent is the legal obligation of a physician to explain to their patient, in a clear, complete, and truthful manner, their pathology and therapeutic options, with an exposition of benefits and risks.
Exceptions to Informed Consent:
(i) Emergency cases
(ii) When the patient is unconscious and lacks relatives or close associates
(iii) When the patient is a minor
Frequent problem: Physicians often assume consent as something merely formal that is fulfilled with the signing of a document, ignoring the underlying reason: to fully inform the patient.