Statute of Patient Rights: A New Legal Framework for Healthcare

Authors

  • Erika Brito de Souza Fonseca Rodrigues Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora
  • Kalline Carvalho Gonçalves Eler Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22240339

Keywords:

Patients’ human rights, Patient rights, Patients’ Rights Statute, Right to information, Informed consent

Abstract

Patient Rights constitutes a legal branch aimed at protecting the rights of individuals within the context of healthcare. These rights are not to be confused with consumer rights or the rights of healthcare service users, as they stem from the application of human rights to the healthcare context. In Brazil, however, the absence of a specific national regulatory framework favored the use of a Consumer Law perspective to govern these relationships. Considering the recent enactment of Law No. 15,378/2026, which established the Patients’ Rights Statute, this study analyzes its importance as a new legal framework for healthcare and examines the contribution of Patient Rights to the legal protection of individuals undergoing healthcare. To this end, theoretical-documentary research was conducted, complemented by case law research at the Superior Court of Justice, featuring an analysis of Special Appeal No. 1,848,862/RN, which addressed the violation of the right to information and informed consent. It concludes that the Statute represents an important instrument to overcome the fragmented protection of patients’ rights and to establish specific normative parameters guided by patient autonomy, dignity, and participation in decisions related to healthcare.

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Author Biographies

Erika Brito de Souza Fonseca Rodrigues, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora

Bacharela em Direito pela Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora (UFJF); Pesquisadora no Observatório de Direitos do Paciente da Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora; Pós-graduanda em Direito Médico e Bioética pela Escola Brasileira de Direito (EBRADI) e Psicóloga Clínica.

Kalline Carvalho Gonçalves Eler, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora

Professora de Direito na Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora (UFJF); Doutora em Bioética pela Universidade Federal de Brasília (UNB) e Diretora do Instituto Brasileiro de direito do paciente (IBDPAC).

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Published

2026-09-02

Issue

Vol. 15 No. 2 (2026)

Section

Jurisprudence commentary

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Erika Brito de Souza Fonseca Rodrigues, Kalline Carvalho Gonçalves Eler

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.