Informed Consent in the Health Care System: An Overview from a Dental Perspective in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: Patient autonomy in the health care system is achieved by the vital principle of providing informed consent. Throughout history, informed consent gained recognition and improved to include more aids and steps to formalize and standardize the process of obtaining proper consent in medical and dental practice. Regardless of the type of informed consent obtained before the treatment, it should include an adequate understandable description of nature and diagnosis of the disease, treatment plan, proper alternatives, risks, and limitations. Summary: There is limited information in the ethics literature covering critical concepts related to different dental procedures in Saudi Arabia. In Saudi Arabia, informed consent in dentistry is not well-documented. As everything is evolving and changing in Saudi society, litigation has progressed and impacted dentistry. This overview will help in addressing aspects related to informed consent and closing the gaps in the dental health care system in Saudi Arabia, managing complex ethical issues associated with dental patients. In addition, providing recommendations and shedding some light on the importance of informed consent will improve the situation of the informed consent process in Saudi Arabia. Key Messages: Informed consent allows patients to be part of the decision-making process, and it provides legal protection for the practitioners from practice lawsuit cases. Dentists should take extra care in documenting the consent process and patient’s choice regarding their treatment to avoid unfavorable consequences. In Saudi Arabia, attention should be drawn toward the crucial role of informed consent, and more studies should be published in order to enrich the knowledge and to improve the health care system.

Dental malpractice lawsuit in the madinah region

“…The consent form is thought to significantly contribute to the patient-practitioner relationship by providing a clear explanation of the patient's treatment plan, and any difficulties, risks, complications, and making sure of understanding the whole procedure, as well as their autonomy and approval. However, if this consistency is lost, it increases the probability for people to file complaints ( Nassar et al, 2021 , Nassar and Demyati, 2021 , Wu et al, 2022 ). It is significant to note that in the few situations when the patient signed the consent form, it played a role in demonstrating innocence and resulting in a favorable judgment for the dentist ( Wu et al, 2022 ).…”

“…The Ministry of Health developed the Saudi Informed Consent Guide that can contribute significantly to preserving both the patient’s and families’ rights, and the practitioners as well as the health care providers ( Nassar and Demyati, 2021 , Nassar et al, 2021 ). Healthcare organizations aim to maintain patient safety and satisfaction.…”

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“…[43][44][45][46][47] These works attempt to identify practitioners' ethical obligations as they relate to complex moral dilemmas such as disclosure, informed consent and end-of-life care. [45][46][47][48][49][50] In recent years, the identification of specific ethical challenges in the Saudi context has also garnered the attention of researchers. Issues relating to DNR orders, conflicts of interest, patient-provider relationships, justice and reproductive choice are routinely recognised as areas of ethical concern.…”

“…Although no works offer a philosophical examination of the practitioner’s moral commitments, several quantitative studies note inherent moral obligations including safeguarding ‘patients’ rights’ and healthcare access, and ensuring honesty, transparency and moral decision-making 43–47. These works attempt to identify practitioners’ ethical obligations as they relate to complex moral dilemmas such as disclosure, informed consent and end-of- life care 45–50. In recent years, the identification of specific ethical challenges in the Saudi context has also garnered the attention of researchers.…”

The Use of Informed Consent in Endodontic Treatment in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…The Saudi Commission for Health Specialties and the Saudi Ministry of Health (MOH) have developed guidelines for the informed consent process in the country, based on international standards, Saudi culture, and Islamic laws. These guidelines provide a general framework for good clinical practice informed by ethical standards [ 8 , 9 ].…”