CYIL vol. 10 (2019)

MASSIMO FOGLIA CYIL 10 ȍ2019Ȏ THE ROLE OF CONSENSUS IN THE DOCTOR-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP UNDER ITALIAN LAW Massimo Foglia * Abstract: The aim of this article is to investigate the shape and character of the medical consensus with a view to the Law 22 December 2017, no. 219. A more realistic appraisal of the phenomenon opens the door to a “progressive” form of consent. This consent is a process involving guidance and comprises a relational decision-making process, including an encounter and a dialogue between a doctor and his patient. In this way, the consensual nature of informed consent draws meaning from “inside” the doctor/patient relationship. Resumé: Cílem tohoto článku je analýza formy a povahy konsensu v kontextu zdravotnictví s přihlédnutím k italskému zákonu č. 219 ze dne 22. prosince 2017. Realističtější posouzení předmětného institutu otevírá prostor „progresivní“ formě informovaného souhlasu. Tento souhlas ve skutečnosti představuje proces zahrnující určitý prvek vedení a rozhodovací proces odehrávající se ve vztahu mezi lékařem a pacientem včetně jejich vzájemného setkání a dialogu. Tímto způsobem konsensuální povaha informovaného souhlasu čerpá svůj smysl z „vnitřního prostoru“ vztahu mezi lékařem a pacientem. Key words: informed consent, health law, doctor-patient relationship, Italian law About the Author: Massimo Foglia, Ph.D. , is an Assistant Professor of Private Law at the University of Bergamo, Department of Law. His research is focused on private law from the national, comparative, and European perspectives. Among other research topics, Dr. Foglia is particuarly interested in informed consent and civil liability in healthcare. 1. Introduction The Italian Parliament has adopted a set of new rules on informed consent and advance healthcare directives ( Legge [Law] 22 December 2017, no. 219) 1 entered into force on January 31 st , 2018. This law places the doctor-patient relationship at the heart of the matter. 2 In the line with settled case law, 3 the law reinforces the role of consensus in the doctor-patient relationship by * This articl, with the addition of the footnotes, constitutes further elaboration of the paper presented at the Conference ‘Compensation Schemes and Beyond In Case of Medical Malpractice’, which took place at the University of Warsaw (Faculty of Law and Administration), on 18 and 19 September 2017. 1 With the title « Rules pertaining to informed consent and advance healthcare directive » (bill no. 2801 approved by the Italian Chamber of Deputies on April 20, 2017). For an in-depth analysis, see FOGLIA, Massimo. Consenso e cura. La solidarietà nel rapporto terapeutico. Giappichelli, Torino 2018. 2 Cf. HEYWOOD, Rob and MIOLA, José. The Changing Face of Pre-operative Medical Disclosure: Placing the Patient at the Heart of the Matter, Law Quarterly Review 133. (2017), 296 ff.; FOGLIA, Massimo (ed.). La relazione di cura dopo la l. 219/2017. Una prospettiva interdisciplinare . Pacini, Pisa 2019. 3 See Cass. 16 October 2007, no. 21748, with a commentary by GAZZONI, Francesco. Sancho Panza in Cassazione (come si riscrive la norma dell’eutanasia, in spregio al principio di divisione dei poteri). Il diritto di famiglia e delle persone. ( 2008), p. 107 and BUSNELLI, Francesco Donato. Il caso Englaro in Cassazione. Famiglia, persone e successioni. (2008), p. 960; Court of Cagliari, 16 July 2016, with a commentary by PISU, Alessandra. Quando «il bene della vita» è la morte, una buona morte. Responsabilità civile e previdenza. (2017), p. 910.

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