Toward Social Justice in Digital Transformation: Legal and Ethical Governance of Electronic Medical Records for Global Welfare

The accelerating digital transformation of healthcare across countries—driven by the adoption of Electronic Medical Records (EMR)—has reshaped the relationship between technology, ethics, and law. While EMR systems promise efficiency and interoperability, they also raise pressing issues of privacy, accountability, and equitable access. In developing contexts such as Indonesia, the challenge lies not only in technological implementation but also in ensuring that digital governance upholds the principles of social justice and human dignity. This study investigates how legal and ethical frameworks governing EMR in Indonesia align with global standards of justice and digital welfare. It aims to identify the normative gaps between regulation, ethics, and practice in digital health governance, proposing a regional framework for “digital justice.” Employing a qualitative legal-ethical approach, the study conducts comparative document analysis and case study evaluation of EMR regulations, including Indonesia’s Law No. 27/2022 on Personal Data Protection (Republic of Indonesia, 2022). These are benchmarked against international references such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the WHO Digital Health Ethics Framework, and the OECD Principles on Data Governance. The comparative analysis reveals four thematic insights: (1) legal compliance and ethical governance; (2) digital inclusion and justice are hindered by structural disparities; (3) accountability mechanisms are underdeveloped; and (4) social justice principles are not yet institutionalized in digital health policy. The paper argues that sustainable digital transformation must integrate ethical equity, legal accountability, and participatory governance as interdependent pillars of “social justice in digital transformation.” The proposed model contributes to policy harmonization in Indonesia and reinforces the legitimacy of digital health governance within global welfare discourse.