---
id: KB-CS-012
url: https://app.codecontract.io/help/use-cases-by-sector/patient-informed-consent
idioma: en
categoria: casos-por-sector
subcategoria: sanitario
audiencia: usuario
nivel: intermedio
actualizado: 2026-08-13
tambienEn: [es]
relacionados: [KB-GL-013, KB-TZ-003]
citadoPor: [KB-CS-013]
---

# Patient informed consent

_Signing without paper where the data is especially sensitive._

**Responde a:** digital informed consent · patient signatures in a clinic · healthcare documents data protection · consent before a procedure

Informed consent is not signed to have a piece of paper: it is signed to be able to prove that person understood what was going to be done before it was done. That changes what matters: date and identity outweigh convenience.

## What must be provable

**En corto**

- That the specific person signed, not someone on their behalf.
- That they signed BEFORE the procedure, with the time.
- Which exact version of the document they read.

> [!IMPORTANT]
> This handles health data, which carries heightened protection. It is not just another document type: decide expressly who can see it, how long it is kept and whether automatic reading applies, rather than leaving the defaults.

## The order that avoids the problem

| Moment | What happens |
| --- | --- |
| When booking | Consent is sent, with time to read it |
| Before the procedure | Signature is checked. No signature, no procedure |
| Afterwards | The copy with evidence goes into their record |

_Sending it in advance is not courtesy: consent signed hurriedly in the room is exactly the one that gets disputed._

> [!WARNING]
> If the patient cannot sign for themselves, whoever signs must be identified as who they are and in what capacity. Signing "for" someone without recording who you are invalidates precisely what was meant to be proved.

> [!NOTE]
> For minors, whoever holds legal responsibility signs, and it is worth recording who that is. It is the case where verified identity by phone code is most appreciated.

**Can it be signed at the clinic?**

Yes, from a tablet or their phone. What matters is that identity and time are recorded.

**How long must it be kept?**

Whatever the applicable healthcare regulations require; check with your adviser.

**Can consent be withdrawn?**

Withdrawal is recorded as a new document; the earlier consent is not deleted, because it proved what was true then.

## Ejemplos

**A clinic has consent forms signed on paper the same day, in the room.**

- Sends them when booking, with time to read
- Checks the signature before proceeding

→ Rushed consent disappears, and the date proves there was time to read.

**A clinic files consents on paper and takes two days to locate one from a patient three years ago.**

- Signs the consent electronically and stores it in the patient's file
- Keeps the signature evidence with the document
- Limits who can open those files

→ The consent is located in seconds and its signature can be defended against anyone questioning it.

**A patient denies having signed.**

- Provides the document with its evidence chain

→ The moment and the device of signing are on record.

**It is signed on paper and nobody notes the time.**

- Signs electronically with the date recorded

→ The time stops being the first thing argued about.

**The consent is stored with clinical data accessible to the whole centre.**

- Limits access according to each person's role

→ Sensitive material stays where it should.

**The consent wording changes and versions coexist.**

- Keeps each version with its date

→ You know what each patient signed.

**The patient asks for their copy years later.**

- Checks the file and provides it

→ The request is met without searching physical archives.

**A patient asks for their data to be deleted.**

- Locates where it appears and acts on the policy

→ The request is handled on a basis.