Era of medical consent via e-Pulse and SMS begins in hospitals

The Regulation on Obtaining Informed Consent Electronically, prepared by the Ministry of Health, has been published in the Official Gazette. With the new regulation covering primary, secondary, and third-tier health facilities, patients will be able to give their consent forms electronically before medical interventions such as major surgical operations, interventional procedures, anesthesia, and sedation applications, either via e-Nabız or through a one-time SMS password sent to their verified mobile phones.

The informed consent form prepared by health personnel is made accessible to the patient via a link sent to their verified mobile phone or through e-Nabız. The patient who accepts the medical intervention gives approval by entering the one-time SMS password sent to their mobile phone into the system. Citizens who have difficulty using digital systems or who need support due to their health condition or disability will be able to give approval by sharing the password sent to them with the relevant health personnel.

Mobile phone numbers verified through the electronic systems of health facilities will be valid for a period of 12 months, after which they will need to be re-verified. Consent forms obtained electronically will be transferred to the Ministry of Health's central health data system and made available for patients to access via e-Nabız. Technical measures such as encryption and time-stamping will be applied to ensure the security, integrity, and confidentiality of records regarding the date, time, SMS verification information, and the healthcare personnel who performed the procedure.

Electronic consent procedures for minor or restricted patients will be carried out by their legal representatives within the scope of the Patient Rights Regulation. In the event that a legal representative is not present, not available, or their identity cannot be verified electronically, electronic consent cannot be obtained.