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Constitutional Protection of Patients in Telemedicine: Informed Consent as a Right to Health

Jurnal Pengabdian Hukum Indonesia (Indonesian Journal of Legal Community Engagement) JPHI · Vol. 9 No. 2 (2026) · pp. 709–762

DOI
10.15294/jphi.v9i2.58868
ISSN
2654-8313, 2654-8305
Published
2026-10-02
Publisher
Universitas Negeri Semarang
Language
eng
License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0

Abstract

This article examines constitutional protection of patients in telemedicine, focusing on platform-based chat teleconsultation between doctors and patients. While telemedicine can expand access to healthcare, chat-based consultation limits clinical verification beyond text-based history taking, increasing the risks of misinterpretation, misdiagnosis, and delayed referral. These risks require meaningful informed consent rather than merely formal acceptance of platform terms. This study employs an implementation-oriented legal education approach within a community engagement framework to translate patient protection and informed consent principles into practical guidance for telemedicine users, health workers, and digital health providers. The methodology comprises four stages: identifying practical challenges in chat teleconsultation, developing accessible legal education materials, constructing a practical e-informed consent model, and assessing its applicability to promote safer and more accountable teleconsultation practices. The findings indicate that Indonesian positive law recognizes telemedicine and requires consent following adequate explanation but has not established specific and auditable e-informed consent standards for direct-to-consumer chat teleconsultation. This gap may lead to the conflation of general platform or data consent with specific clinical informed consent at points of clinical decision-making, including therapy recommendations, prescriptions, clinical instructions, and referrals. The study proposes a rights-based and risk-based e-informed consent model built on four pillars: structured minimum disclosure emphasizing chat limitations; verification of patient understanding through teach-back or closed-loop communication; trigger-based, just-in-time separation of platform consent from specific clinical consent; and an audit trail compatible with electronic medical records. The model strengthens patients’ rights to health and information while enhancing accountability in digital health services and supporting Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 on Good Health and Well-being.

Keywords

Collaboration network of the authors

12 authors · 35 co-authorship links · 30 across different organisations

Hover or tap a name to highlight its co-authors. Double-click to open the author's page.

  • Hasanuddin University
  • Sultan Sharif Ali Islamic University
  • Universitas Islam Negeri Alauddin Makassar
  • American University in the Emirates
  • Sekolah Tinggi Agama Islam Negeri Majene
  • Universitas Sulawesi Tenggara
  • Cenderawasih University
  • Different organisations
  • Same organisation
  • Affiliation unknown
  • Thicker line = more joint articles · bigger circle = more articles
Show as table
Co-authorOrganisationJoint articles
Maskun MaskunHasanuddin University2
Muhammad Mutawalli MukhlisSekolah Tinggi Agama Islam Negeri Majene2
Ahmad MasumSultan Sharif Ali Islamic University2
Wa Ode Intan KurniawatiUniversitas Sulawesi Tenggara1
Naswar NaswarHasanuddin University1
Yusuf Ibrahim ArowosaiyeSultan Sharif Ali Islamic University1
Budiyanto BudiyantoCenderawasih University1

Affiliations come from OpenAlex; journal OAI-PMH metadata carries none. Authors without an OpenAlex ID are matched by name, which can merge or split people.

Metadata source: OAI-PMH (metadata jurnal) https://journal.unnes.ac.id/journals/JPHI/oai, first harvested 5 Nov 2026, last seen 5 Nov 2026.
Original metadata (oai_dc)
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	<dc:title xml:lang="en">Constitutional Protection of Patients in Telemedicine: Informed Consent as a Right to Health</dc:title>
	<dc:creator xml:lang="en">Toto Surianto Subu</dc:creator>
	<dc:creator xml:lang="en">Ahmadi Miru</dc:creator>
	<dc:creator xml:lang="en">Slamet Sampurno Suwondo</dc:creator>
	<dc:creator xml:lang="en">Muhammad Saleh Tajuddin</dc:creator>
	<dc:creator xml:lang="en">Ahmed Mohamed Barak</dc:creator>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en">Telemedicine</dc:subject>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en">Teleconsultation Chat</dc:subject>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en">Informed Consent</dc:subject>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en">Right to Health</dc:subject>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en">e-Informed Consent</dc:subject>
	<dc:description xml:lang="en">This article examines constitutional protection of patients in telemedicine, focusing on platform-based chat teleconsultation between doctors and patients. While telemedicine can expand access to healthcare, chat-based consultation limits clinical verification beyond text-based history taking, increasing the risks of misinterpretation, misdiagnosis, and delayed referral. These risks require meaningful informed consent rather than merely formal acceptance of platform terms. This study employs an implementation-oriented legal education approach within a community engagement framework to translate patient protection and informed consent principles into practical guidance for telemedicine users, health workers, and digital health providers. The methodology comprises four stages: identifying practical challenges in chat teleconsultation, developing accessible legal education materials, constructing a practical e-informed consent model, and assessing its applicability to promote safer and more accountable teleconsultation practices. The findings indicate that Indonesian positive law recognizes telemedicine and requires consent following adequate explanation but has not established specific and auditable e-informed consent standards for direct-to-consumer chat teleconsultation. This gap may lead to the conflation of general platform or data consent with specific clinical informed consent at points of clinical decision-making, including therapy recommendations, prescriptions, clinical instructions, and referrals. The study proposes a rights-based and risk-based e-informed consent model built on four pillars: structured minimum disclosure emphasizing chat limitations; verification of patient understanding through teach-back or closed-loop communication; trigger-based, just-in-time separation of platform consent from specific clinical consent; and an audit trail compatible with electronic medical records. The model strengthens patients’ rights to health and information while enhancing accountability in digital health services and supporting Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 on Good Health and Well-being.</dc:description>
	<dc:publisher xml:lang="en">Universitas Negeri Semarang</dc:publisher>
	<dc:date>2026-10-02</dc:date>
	<dc:type>info:eu-repo/semantics/article</dc:type>
	<dc:type>info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion</dc:type>
	<dc:format>application/pdf</dc:format>
	<dc:identifier>https://journal.unnes.ac.id/journals/JPHI/article/view/58868</dc:identifier>
	<dc:identifier>10.15294/jphi.v9i2.58868</dc:identifier>
	<dc:source xml:lang="en">Jurnal Pengabdian Hukum Indonesia (Indonesian Journal of Legal Community Engagement) JPHI; Vol. 9 No. 2 (2026): July-December, 2026; 709-762</dc:source>
	<dc:source>2654-8313</dc:source>
	<dc:source>2654-8305</dc:source>
	<dc:source>10.15294/jphi.v9i2</dc:source>
	<dc:language>eng</dc:language>
	<dc:relation>https://journal.unnes.ac.id/journals/JPHI/article/view/58868/11074</dc:relation>
	<dc:rights xml:lang="en">Copyright (c) 2026 Toto Surianto Subu, Ahmadi Miru, Slamet Sampurno Suwondo, Muhammad Saleh Tajuddin, Ahmed Mohamed Barak (Author)</dc:rights>
	<dc:rights xml:lang="en">https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0</dc:rights>
</oai_dc:dc>