The relevance of informed consent in medical criminal liability: Legal systems in the Andean Community.

Main Article Content

Mayra del Carmen Asitimbay-Márquez
Julio Adrián Molleturo-Jiménez

Abstract

This study analyzes the importance of informed consent in medical criminal liability within the Andean Community, focusing on the legal systems of Colombia, Peru and Bolivia. The problem lies in the diversity of regulations on informed consent, which poses challenges to protect patient rights and establish legal responsibilities for health professionals. The objective is to perform a comparative analysis of national regulations and court cases, identifying differences and gaps that could improve the quality of medical care. An exhaustive review of literature, court rulings and regional comparative regulations was carried out. The results highlight how the absence or deficiency in the information provided to the patient has resulted in judicial sanctions and highlights the need for regional harmonization. The conclusion indicates that a homogeneous regulatory framework would strengthen medical practice in the region and reduce malpractice cases, guaranteeing patient rights.

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How to Cite
Asitimbay-Márquez, M., & Molleturo-Jiménez, J. (2025). The relevance of informed consent in medical criminal liability: Legal systems in the Andean Community. 593 Digital Publisher CEIT, 10(1-1), 20-36. https://doi.org/10.33386/593dp.2025.1-1.2999
Section
Investigaciones /estudios empíricos
Author Biographies

Mayra del Carmen Asitimbay-Márquez, Universidad Católica de Cuenca - Ecuador

https://orcid.org/0009-0008-4386-3881

Mayra del Carmen Asitimbay Márquez is a general practitioner and has a degree in nursing. She has a master's degree in Bioethics from the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador and is currently pursuing postgraduate studies in Medical Law at the Universidad Católica de Cuenca. She has participated in multiple international congresses and workshops in bioethics and health sciences. Her interest in research is reflected in her publication on prescription and counseling in physical activity in primary care, contributing to the strengthening of ethical practices in the health field

Julio Adrián Molleturo-Jiménez, Universidad Católica de Cuenca - Ecuador

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2853-7793

Lawyer of the Courts of Justice of the Republic, Magister in Medical Law and Magister in Stock Market and Insurance Financial Law, professor of Insurance Law and Medical Civil Responsibility of the Master in Medical Law of the Catholic University of Cuenca since 2022.

References

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Dinka Sago, I. V. (2023). Criminal and Civil Aspects of Healthcare Worker Liability For Medical Malpractice in Croatia. Medicine, Law & Society, 16(2), 319–351. https://doi.org/10.18690/mls.16.2.319-352.2023

Galán Gutiérrez, J. C., & Galán Cortés, J. C. (2014). Consentimiento informado en anestesiología: La antelación suficiente como requisito de validez. Revista Espanola de Anestesiologia y Reanimacion, 61(2), 94–100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.redar.2013.05.004

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Ley N. 3131 Ley Del Ejercicio Profesional Médico (2005). https://www.minsalud.gob.bo/images/Documentacion/normativa/Ley%203131%20Ejercicio%20Mdico.pdf

Ley Orgánica de Salud (2015). https://app-vlex-com.vpn.ucacue.edu.ec/search/*/organica+de+salud/vid/648443225

Pallocci, M., Treglia, M., Passalacqua, P., Tittarelli, R., Zanovello, C., De Luca, L., Caparrelli, V., De Luna, V., Cisterna, A. M., Quintavalle, G., & Marsella, L. T. (2023). Informed Consent: Legal Obligation or Cornerstone of the Care Relationship? International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(3). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20032118

Pizarro-Wilson, C. (2021). Information obligations of radiologists. In Revista Chilena de Radiologia (Vol. 27, Issue 4, pp. 160–163). Sociedad Chilena de Radiologia. https://doi.org/10.24875/rchrad.m20000013

Principios y Buenas Prácticas Sobre La Protección de Las Personas Privadas de Libertad En Las Américas (2008). https://cidh.oas.org/pdf%20files/RESOLUCION%201-08%20ESP%20FINAL.pdf

Rego, S., Grove, M. E., Cho, M. K., & Ormond, K. E. (2020). Informed consent in the genomics era. Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine, 10(8), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1101/cshperspect.a036582

Rosales, M. (2021). Comunicación en la relación médico - paciente. Vida y Etica, 22, 9–26. https://erevistas.uca.edu.ar/index.php/VyE/article/view/3967

Sánchez, M. (2021). Consentimiento Informado y Capacidad para Decidir. In M. Sánchez (Ed.), Bioética en Ciencias de la Salud (2nd ed., pp. 187–191). Elsevier.

Secretaria General de la Comunidad Andina. (2022). Somos CAN. https://www.comunidadandina.org/StaticFiles/20168194153Folleto_SomosCAN.pdf

Tsai, H. S., Lee, T. L., Hsuan, C. F., & Liang, H. W. (2022). Impact of the medical care act amendment on the medical malpractice litigation in Taiwan. Medicine (United States), 101(46), E31564. https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000031564 Alonso-Que, H., Aja-Canales, J., Castillo-Uribe, L., & Rodriguez-Delgado, N. (2015). El consentimiento informado en la actualidad, su evolución y el punto de vista del experto jurídico. Anales de Radiología México, 14, 172–177. https://www.analesderadiologiamexico.com/previos/ARM%202015%20Vol.%2014/ARM_15_14_2_Abril-Junio/arm_15_14_2_172-177.pdf

Beauchamp, T., & Faden, R. (2014). Informed Consent. Meaning and Elements. In Bioethics (4th ed., pp. 1682–1687). Cengage Learning.

Berg, J. W. (2006). Constructing Competence: Formulating Standards of Legal Constructing Competence: Formulating Standards of Legal Competence to Make Medical Decisions Competence to Make Medical Decisions. Case Western Reserve University School of Law Scholarly Commons, 48, 345–396. https://scholarlycommons.law.case.edu/faculty_publications/562

Buchanan, A. (2004). Mental capacity, legal competence and consent to treatment. J R Soc Med, 97, 415–420. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1079581/

Buchbinder, M. (2016). Aid-in-dying laws and the physician’s duty to inform. Biomedical Jornal, 0, 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1136/medethics

Buedo, P., Sanchez, L., Ojeda, M. P., della Vedova, M. N., Labra, B., Sipitria, R., Aracil, L. C., Consentino, S., Varela, I., Varas, C. Y., Apaza, G., Krasnow, A., Vilchez, S., & Luna, F. (2023). Informed consent and living wills: comparative analysis of the legislation in Latin America. Revista de Bioética y Derecho, 58, 25–44. https://doi.org/10.1344/rbd2023.58.41678

Código Orgánico Integral Penal, COIP (2024). https://app.vlex.com/vid/codigo-organico-integral-penal-631464447

Código Penal (2023). https://app-vlex-com.vpn.ucacue.edu.ec/search/jurisdiction:BO/codigo+penal/vid/685538913

Código Penal (2024). https://app-vlex-com.vpn.ucacue.edu.ec/search/jurisdiction:PE/codigo+penal/vid/42815210

Código Penal, Ley 599 de 2000 (2024). https://app-vlex-com.vpn.ucacue.edu.ec/search/jurisdiction:CO/codigo+penal/vid/42846002

Colburn, B. (2020). Autonomy, voluntariness and assisted dying. Journal of Medical Ethics, 46(5), 316–319. https://doi.org/10.1136/medethics-2019-105720

Constitución de La República Del Ecuador (2008). https://app-vlex-com.vpn.ucacue.edu.ec/search/*/constitucion+del+ecuador/vid/631446215

Constitución Política de Colombia (1991). https://app-vlex-com.vpn.ucacue.edu.ec/search/jurisdiction:CO/constitucion/vid/42867930

Constitución Política Del Estado (2009). https://app-vlex-com.vpn.ucacue.edu.ec/search/jurisdiction:BO/constituci%C3%B3n/vid/685538889

Constitución Política Del Perú, Reforma 2024 (2024). https://app-vlex-com.vpn.ucacue.edu.ec/search/jurisdiction:PE/constitucion/vid/42814763

Convención Americana Sobre Derechos Humanos (Pacto de San José) (1978). https://www.oas.org/dil/esp/1969_Convenci%C3%B3n_Americana_sobre_Derechos_Humanos.pdf

Convención Interamericana Para Prevenir La Violencia Contra La Mujer (1994). www.lexis.com.ec

De Souza Feijó, C. x, De Souza Framil, V. M., & Muñoz, D. (2022). El deber de informar en medicina: análisis de las demandas. Revista Bioética, 30(4), 780–790. https://doi.org/10.1590/1983-80422022304569es

Dinka Sago, I. V. (2023). Criminal and Civil Aspects of Healthcare Worker Liability For Medical Malpractice in Croatia. Medicine, Law & Society, 16(2), 319–351. https://doi.org/10.18690/mls.16.2.319-352.2023

Galán Gutiérrez, J. C., & Galán Cortés, J. C. (2014). Consentimiento informado en anestesiología: La antelación suficiente como requisito de validez. Revista Espanola de Anestesiologia y Reanimacion, 61(2), 94–100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.redar.2013.05.004

García Huayama, J. C. (2016). Responsabilidad civil médica y consentimiento informado. Derecho y Cambio Social. www.derechoycambiosocial.com│

Lamo, E. (2019). La responsabilidad penal y el consentimiento informado. Ponencias, 29, 50–65. https://www.ajs.es/es/index-revista-derecho-y-salud/volumen-29-extraordinario-2019/la-responsabilidad-penal-y-el

Ley 26842, Ley General de Salud (2024).

Ley Estatutaria de Salud N. 1751 (2015). https://www.minsalud.gov.co/Normatividad_Nuevo/Ley%201751%20de%202015.pdf

Ley N. 3131 Ley Del Ejercicio Profesional Médico (2005). https://www.minsalud.gob.bo/images/Documentacion/normativa/Ley%203131%20Ejercicio%20Mdico.pdf

Ley Orgánica de Salud (2015). https://app-vlex-com.vpn.ucacue.edu.ec/search/*/organica+de+salud/vid/648443225

Pallocci, M., Treglia, M., Passalacqua, P., Tittarelli, R., Zanovello, C., De Luca, L., Caparrelli, V., De Luna, V., Cisterna, A. M., Quintavalle, G., & Marsella, L. T. (2023). Informed Consent: Legal Obligation or Cornerstone of the Care Relationship? International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(3). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20032118

Pizarro-Wilson, C. (2021). Information obligations of radiologists. In Revista Chilena de Radiologia (Vol. 27, Issue 4, pp. 160–163). Sociedad Chilena de Radiologia. https://doi.org/10.24875/rchrad.m20000013

Principios y Buenas Prácticas Sobre La Protección de Las Personas Privadas de Libertad En Las Américas (2008). https://cidh.oas.org/pdf%20files/RESOLUCION%201-08%20ESP%20FINAL.pdf

Rego, S., Grove, M. E., Cho, M. K., & Ormond, K. E. (2020). Informed consent in the genomics era. Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine, 10(8), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1101/cshperspect.a036582

Rosales, M. (2021). Comunicación en la relación médico - paciente. Vida y Etica, 22, 9–26. https://erevistas.uca.edu.ar/index.php/VyE/article/view/3967

Sánchez, M. (2021). Consentimiento Informado y Capacidad para Decidir. In M. Sánchez (Ed.), Bioética en Ciencias de la Salud (2nd ed., pp. 187–191). Elsevier.

Secretaria General de la Comunidad Andina. (2022). Somos CAN. https://www.comunidadandina.org/StaticFiles/20168194153Folleto_SomosCAN.pdf

Tsai, H. S., Lee, T. L., Hsuan, C. F., & Liang, H. W. (2022). Impact of the medical care act amendment on the medical malpractice litigation in Taiwan. Medicine (United States), 101(46), E31564. https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000031564

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