Perlindungan Pasien atas Kesalahan Diagnosis Tenaga Medis: Studi Socio-Legal tentang Akuntabilitas Medis dan Akses Keadilan di Kota Batam

Abstract

Diagnostic error is a medico-legal issue that concerns not only clinical competence but also patient rights, patient safety, medical record documentation, and access to justice. This study analyzes legal protection for patients who suffer harm from diagnostic errors committed by medical professionals in Batam City by examining the relationship between professional accountability, complaint mechanisms, medical records, and medical dispute resolution. The study adopts a socio-legal approach that combines normative analysis of health regulations with empirical reading of service practices, complaint procedures, and evidentiary barriers in diagnostic disputes. The findings show that patient protection has a relatively strong normative basis through the recognition of patient rights, professional duties, and the evidentiary function of medical records. Nevertheless, its effectiveness remains constrained by medical information asymmetry, limited clinical transparency, restricted access to documents, and the weak integration of ethical, disciplinary, administrative, and civil mechanisms. This study argues that patient protection should move from a reactive litigation-oriented model toward an integrated accountability model that combines prevention, disclosure, clinical audit, documentation, and recovery. The contribution of this study lies in developing a socio-legal framework that connects diagnostic safety with access to justice in local healthcare governance.