Book Titled 'Informed Consent' Released to Educate Amid Rising Medical Dispute Cases
Medical dispute cases that continue to overshadow the health sector in Indonesia often stem from suboptimal communication patterns and the fulfilment of patient rights. Departing from this phenomenon, a health law literature work titled ‘Informed Consent’ has been launched as a preventive measure and a strategic guide for medical practitioners and the wider community.
The book was written by Prof. Jovita Irawati and NM Rika Trismayanti. Prof. Jovita asserted that the book’s presence is a tangible response to the current dynamics of law and medical services. One of the crucial points highlighted is the importance of information transparency at the outset of medical procedures.
‘This book was written as a strategic step to prevent the increase in medical disputes caused by the lack of information provided by doctors before performing an action,’ said Prof. Jovita during the book launch at the 5th-floor Auditorium, Building D, Pelita Harapan University, Karawaci (19/6).
Furthermore, she criticised the shift in meaning in the field regarding informed consent. She assessed that many parties are still trapped in bureaucratic formalities, rather than the substance of the patient’s rights themselves.
‘Currently, a misconception often occurs among medical personnel who frequently equate informed consent merely as a physical form or a sheet of paper for administrative formalities in the hospital,’ she explained.
She also stressed that the responsibility for providing information cannot be delegated to other parties. The acting doctor must interact directly with the patient.
‘The provision of information related to the action plan must be carried out directly by the operating surgeon or the doctor responsible for the patient who will perform the action, and must not be delegated to a nurse or other doctor who is not performing the action,’ she emphasised.
Beyond the issue of informed consent, the book also dissects a highly relevant issue in today’s digital era: medical data security. Amidst the rampant commodification of personal data, this book comprehensively examines Information Privacy and Patient Data Protection.
Meanwhile, NM Rika Trismayanti expressed a deep hope that the book can become a bridge bringing positive change for all stakeholders.
‘Through this book, I hope that Health Law in Indonesia can move towards a more humanistic, just direction, and provide true protection for both patients and medical personnel and health workers,’ she concluded.