Profile of the Authors of Judicial Proceedings in Cases of Blood Transfusion in Jehovah’s Witnesses

Abstract

Introduction: Descriptive study of judicial sentences in cases of blood transfusion in Jehovah’s Witness patients in the state of São Paulo with the aim of collecting data on the processes and improving the medico-legal understanding on the subject. Method: research was carried out on the website of the São Paulo State Court of Justice (TJSP), in the free search box typed “transfusion” AND “Jehovah’s Witness”, with a limited date until Aug. 15th 2020, which was the end date of data collection, with no initial date limit. All sentences were read. Inclusion criteria were the identification of sentences in which the initial conflict was blood transfusion in Jehovah’s Witness patients and exclusion of sentences where blood transfusion was included as a way to increase the damage claim and not as the initial conflict. Objective: To analyze claimants and defendants in cases where there was a legal conflict regarding the possibility or performance of blood transfusion in a Jehovah’s Witness patient. Result: The legal actions were brought by the patients themselves in 63.63% of the sentences. Most prevalent defendants were hospitals and health insurance providers, each of them sued in 31.81% of the cases. Conclusion: 63.63% of the lawsuits were filed by the patients themselves, with 85.71% of these sentences being dismissed. The institutions most prosecuted for conflicts related to blood transfusion were hospitals and health insurance providers (31.81% each). In the case of lawsuits against hospitals, 85.71% were dismissed, and against health insurance providers, 71.42% were dismissed.