{"id":22072,"date":"2026-09-28T08:00:09","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T07:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/belzuz.com\/?post_type=publicacion&#038;p=22072"},"modified":"2026-09-25T09:32:45","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T08:32:45","slug":"the-greatest-threat-is-no-medical-error","status":"publish","type":"publicacion","link":"https:\/\/belzuz.com\/en\/publicacion\/the-greatest-threat-is-no-medical-error\/","title":{"rendered":"The greatest threat to doctors and hospitals is no longer (just) medical error"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>From medical paternalism to patient autonomy<\/h2>\n<p>The evolution of healthcare law has brought about a paradigm shift. Today, the legal protection of patients is not limited to guaranteeing technically adequate care, but also to safeguarding their right to make free decisions regarding their own health.<\/p>\n<p>This means that a medical procedure that is technically flawless may still give rise to liability if the patient was not sufficiently informed about the relevant risks, therapeutic alternatives or foreseeable consequences of the procedure.<\/p>\n<p>In other words, the legal debate is no longer confined to determining whether medical negligence occurred, but also whether there was a breach of the patient\u2019s right to self-determination.<\/p>\n<h2>Informed consent as an independent basis for liability<\/h2>\n<p>Increasingly, the courts distinguish between two possible bases for liability:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>That arising from conduct contrary to the <em>lex artis<\/em>.<\/li>\n<li>That arising from insufficient or flawed information.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This second line of argument is of enormous practical significance. In many cases, the claimant finds it more difficult to prove medical error than to challenge the quality and scope of the information received prior to the procedure.<\/p>\n<p>Consequently, clinical records and the actual content of the informed consent form have come to occupy a central position within any defence strategy.<\/p>\n<h2>The mistake of relying solely on a signed form<\/h2>\n<p>One of the most common risks is equating informed consent with a signed document.<\/p>\n<p>Experience shows that the existence of a standard form is not always sufficient to rule out liability. The courts are analysing in ever greater detail whether the information provided was genuinely comprehensible, personalised and appropriate to the patient\u2019s specific circumstances.<\/p>\n<p>A signature proves that a document was handed over, but not necessarily that effective communication took place.<\/p>\n<p>Consequently, generic, overly technical or indiscriminately used templates may offer far less legal protection than is usually assumed.<\/p>\n<h2>A growing risk for insurers<\/h2>\n<p>From an insurer\u2019s perspective, this phenomenon poses significant challenges.<\/p>\n<p>Traditionally, the defence against a medical claim relied primarily on expert reports intended to demonstrate the technical correctness of the medical procedure. However, today it is equally essential to analyse:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The quality of the information provided.<\/li>\n<li>The timing of its provision.<\/li>\n<li>To whom.<\/li>\n<li>The documentary traceability of the information process.<\/li>\n<li>Whether therapeutic alternatives were explained to the patient.<\/li>\n<li>Proof that the relevant risks were effectively communicated.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In many cases, an excellent expert defence can be undermined by documentary shortcomings relating to informed consent.<\/p>\n<h2>A matter of prevention, not just litigation<\/h2>\n<p>The growing importance of this issue should prompt reflection amongst hospitals, clinics and healthcare professionals.<\/p>\n<p>The best strategy is not merely to strengthen legal defence mechanisms, but to improve patient information processes before a dispute arises.<\/p>\n<p>Investing in clear protocols, up-to-date forms, specific training and adequate clinical documentation is probably one of the most effective measures for reducing future incidents.<\/p>\n<h2>Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p>Medical liability is undergoing a quiet transformation. The focus of litigation no longer lies exclusively on determining whether the doctor acted in accordance with the <em>lex artis<\/em>, but also on verifying whether the patient was able to make a free decision about their treatment with full knowledge of the risks and alternatives.<\/p>\n<p>In this new landscape, at <a href=\"https:\/\/belzuz.com\/en\/\">Belzuz Abogados, S.L.P.<\/a>, as specialists in <a href=\"https:\/\/belzuz.com\/en\/areas-de-practica\/derecho-del-seguro\/abogados-seguros-madrid-espana\/\">insurance law<\/a> and medical liability, we believe that informed consent has evolved from being a mere document into an essential risk-management tool.<\/p>\n<p>And perhaps the question that hospitals, healthcare professionals and insurers should now be asking themselves is no longer simply whether the care provided was correct, but whether the information given was truly sufficient.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":18937,"template":"","categories":[149,514],"area-de-practica":[225],"publicaciones":[516],"idioma-publicacion":[71],"areas-practica-publicacciones":[],"class_list":["post-22072","publicacion","type-publicacion","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sin-categorizar-en","category-sin-categorizar","area-de-practica-insurance-law","publicaciones-ignacio-montero-pujante","idioma-publicacion-ingles"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/belzuz.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publicacion\/22072","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/belzuz.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publicacion"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/belzuz.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/publicacion"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/belzuz.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18937"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/belzuz.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22072"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/belzuz.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22072"},{"taxonomy":"area-de-practica","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/belzuz.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/area-de-practica?post=22072"},{"taxonomy":"publicaciones","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/belzuz.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publicaciones?post=22072"},{"taxonomy":"idioma-publicacion","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/belzuz.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/idioma-publicacion?post=22072"},{"taxonomy":"areas-practica-publicacciones","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/belzuz.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/areas-practica-publicacciones?post=22072"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}