[Durgical](https://durgical.com/en/) › [DurgiPedia](https://durgical.com/en/durgipedia/) › [Medical ethics](https://durgical.com/en/medical-ethics/) › [The health system and the right to health](https://durgical.com/en/medical-ethics/areas/health-system/) › Patients' rights and duties in Colombia # Patients' rights and duties in Colombia - Law Law 1751 of 2015 (art. 10) lists patients' rights and duties; Resolution 13437 of 1991 adopted a ten-point charter of rights. Updated Nov 5, 2026 ## Key points - Patients' rights and duties: Law 1751 of 2015, art. 10. - No one may be forced to receive treatment against their will. - Free copy of the medical record and confidentiality. - Failing to meet duties does not justify refusing care. - Resolution 13437 of 1991: charter of rights and hospital ethics committees. ## What it is In Colombia, patients' rights are set out in Statutory Law 1751 of 2015, art. 10, which also sets their duties. Earlier, Resolution 13437 of 1991 of the Ministry of Health adopted a ten-point charter of patients' rights and ordered hospital ethics committees to be set up in public and private institutions. These rights are complemented by the doctor's ethical duties in Law 23 of 1981. ## Key articles - Law 1751, art. 10: access to comprehensive, timely, quality services; emergency care without documents or prior payment; full, clear communication with the treating professional. - Law 1751, art. 10, letter d: clear, sufficient information to decide; no one may be forced to receive treatment against their will. - Law 1751, art. 10, letters g and k: a confidential medical record, free to consult and copy, and privacy of health information. - Law 1751, art. 10: dignified treatment, respect for beliefs, no cruel treatment or avoidable suffering, no administrative burdens passed on, and the right to decide on organ donation. - Law 1751, art. 10, duties: self-care, following health promotion and prevention advice, respecting staff, using resources well, acting in good faith, giving timely information and contributing according to ability to pay. - Law 1751, art. 10, paragraph 1: failure to meet these duties may never be used to block access to health services. - Resolution 13437 of 1991, art. 1: ten-point charter of rights (free choice, information, dignified treatment, confidentiality, the best care available, costs, spiritual support, research, donation and dying with dignity); art. 2: hospital ethics committees. ## In clinical practice - A patient who does not follow advice still has the right to be treated (Law 1751, art. 10, paragraph 1). - Refusing treatment is a right; the doctor explains the consequences and records it in the medical record. - Hospital ethics committees receive complaints about breaches of patients' rights (Resolution 13437 of 1991, art. 3). ## Status and official text - Official text checked on 2026-11-05 on funcionpublica.gov.co (Law 1751 of 2015) and minsalud.gov.co (Resolution 13437 of 1991). - Ruling C-313 of 2014 struck parts of letter q (exhausting treatment options) and of paragraph 1 of art. 10 of Law 1751, which limited those rights. - Resolution 13437 of 1991 predates Law 1751; where they differ, the statutory law prevails. Check the text in force before citing it. ## Test yourself Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it. ## Where are patients' rights and duties set out in Colombian law today? In Statutory Law 1751 of 2015, art. 10. ## Can care be refused to a patient who does not meet their self-care duties? No. Paragraph 1 of art. 10 of Law 1751 says failure to meet duties may never be used to block or restrict access to services. ## What did Resolution 13437 of 1991 create besides the charter of rights? Hospital ethics committees in public and private health care providers (art. 2). [Add to my cards (3)](https://durgical.app/estudiar/?add=/en/medical-ethics/patients-rights-and-duties-in-colombia/) ## Connections ## Related 4 - [Ley Estatutaria 1751 de 2015: health as a fundamental right](https://durgical.com/en/medical-ethics/ley-estatutaria-1751-de-2015-health-as-a-fundamental-right/) - [Informed consent: elements and how to obtain it](https://durgical.com/en/medical-ethics/informed-consent-elements-and-how-to-obtain-it/) - [Refusing treatment, including blood transfusion](https://durgical.com/en/medical-ethics/refusing-treatment-including-blood-transfusion/) - [Tutela in health](https://durgical.com/en/medical-ethics/tutela-in-health/) [← All of medical ethics](https://durgical.com/en/medical-ethics/) Educational content on ethics and health law; not legal advice. Laws and case law change: each page links the official text and says when it was last checked. For a real case, read the text in force and ask a lawyer or the medical ethics tribunal. Sources: [Ley Estatutaria 1751 de 2015, art. 10: derechos y deberes de las personas](https://www.funcionpublica.gov.co/eva/gestornormativo/norma.php?i=60733) (Función Pública, Gestor Normativo, 2015); [Resolución 13437 de 1991, hospital ethics committees and the charter of patients' rights](https://www.minsalud.gov.co/Normatividad_Nuevo/RESOLUCI%C3%93N%2013437%20DE%201991.pdf) (Ministerio de Salud, 1991). ## **Spotted a mistake?** We are always improving for the community. Tell us what is wrong and our team will review it. Report a mistake Representative model, for educational purposes only. --- Source: https://durgical.com/en/medical-ethics/patients-rights-and-duties-in-colombia/ License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Cite as: DurgiPedia (durgical.com), https://durgical.com/en/medical-ethics/patients-rights-and-duties-in-colombia/