The WMA Declaration of Lisbon on the rights of the patient
- International document
The Declaration of Lisbon (1981) is the list of patients' rights that the World Medical Association asks every doctor to respect and defend.
What it is
The Declaration of Lisbon on the Rights of the Patient was adopted by the 34th World Medical Assembly in Lisbon in 1981, amended in Bali in 1995, editorially revised in Santiago, Chile, in 2005 and reaffirmed in Oslo in 2015, which is the version in force. It recognises eleven rights, from good-quality care to religious assistance. Its most striking feature is in the preamble: if a law, a government or an institution denies these rights, doctors should pursue the means to assure or restore them. In Colombia, many of these rights are in Law 1751 of 2015 (art. 10), covered on the «Patients' rights and duties» page.
Key points
- Quality: the patient has the right to a doctor free of outside interference in clinical and ethical judgement.
- Continuity: the doctor does not abandon a patient who still needs treatment without helping them arrange other care.
- Self-determination: the doctor informs the patient of the consequences of their decisions; the capable adult consents to or refuses any test or treatment.
- Suicide attempt: the doctor should always try to save the life of a patient unconscious after a suicide attempt.
- A legally incompetent patient who can decide rationally: their decisions are respected and they may forbid disclosure to their representative.
- Information about third parties in the record: needs that third party's consent before being given to the patient.
Historical context
- It was adopted in 1981, when the patients' rights movement had already changed the clinical relationship in several countries.
- The WMA wrote it as a list of rights the profession endorses, not as a law; it binds doctors and their associations ethically.
- The Bali amendment (1995) broadened it; the 2005 and 2015 actions were an editorial revision and a reaffirmation, with no change of substance.
The eleven rights of the Declaration of Lisbon
| Right | Central idea |
|---|---|
| 1. Good-quality care | Without discrimination; fair selection if a treatment is scarce; continuity of care |
| 2. Freedom of choice | Choose and change doctor or institution; ask for another opinion |
| 3. Self-determination | The capable adult accepts or refuses any procedure; may refuse research or teaching |
| 4. The unconscious patient | Consent of the representative; if none and it is urgent, it is presumed, unless there was a clear prior refusal |
| 5. The legally incompetent patient | Takes part in the decision as far as capacity allows; the doctor challenges a representative's refusal against their interest |
| 6. Procedures against the patient's will | Only exceptionally, if the law allows it and it fits medical ethics |
| 7. Information | Access to their record; may be withheld only for serious danger; may choose not to know |
| 8. Confidentiality | Even after death; disclosed with explicit consent or where the law provides |
| 9. Health education | To decide about their health and the available services |
| 10. Dignity | Respect for privacy and culture; relief of suffering and humane terminal care |
| 11. Religious assistance | Accept or decline spiritual comfort, including a minister of their religion |
Today
- A capable patient who asks for a second opinion exercises right 2; arranging it is no insult to the treating doctor.
- A capable adolescent who asks for confidentiality from their parents finds support in right 5, within what local law allows.
- A patient who does not want the details of their prognosis may delegate to another person (right 7).
- In teaching: the patient may refuse to be examined by students or to have them present (rights 3 and 10).
Revisions and official text
- Text in force: the 1995 version with the 2005 editorial revision, reaffirmed in 2015; checked on 2026-11-13 at wma.net.
- Colombia: Statutory Law 1751 of 2015, art. 10, contains similar rights: information to decide (item d), dignified treatment (item f), confidentiality of the medical record (item g) and privacy (item k).
- Law 1751 of 2015, art. 10, item d: no one may be forced, against their will, to receive health treatment; text checked on 2026-11-13 at funcionpublica.gov.co.
- The declaration is ethical, not law: in Colombia the enforceable rights are those of Law 1751 and the Constitution.
Test yourself
Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.
When and where was the Declaration of Lisbon adopted, and when was it last reaffirmed?
At the 34th World Medical Assembly, Lisbon, 1981; it was amended in 1995 (Bali), revised in 2005 (Santiago) and reaffirmed in 2015 (Oslo).
Under Lisbon, what is done for an unconscious patient with no representative who needs an urgent intervention?
Consent is presumed, unless it is clear beyond doubt from the patient's firm prior expression that they would refuse that intervention in that situation.
When does Lisbon allow information to be withheld from the patient?
Only exceptionally, when there is good reason to believe the information would seriously endanger their life or health.
What does Lisbon's preamble ask if a law denies patients' rights?
That doctors pursue appropriate means to assure or restore those rights.
Connections
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: WMA Declaration of Lisbon on the Rights of the Patient (World Medical Association, 2015); Ley Estatutaria 1751 de 2015, que regula el derecho fundamental a la salud (Función Pública, Gestor Normativo, 2015).
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Representative model, for educational purposes only.