Patientenrecht

Patientenrechten ( vertaling volgt)

Active Citizenship Network's
European Charter of Patients' Rights

1. Recht op preventieve maatregelen.
   Every individual has the right to a proper service in order to prevent illness.
2. Right of access
   Every individual has the right of access to the health services that his or her health needs require.
   The health services must guarantee equal access to everyone, without discriminating on the basis of financial resources, place of residence, kind of illness or time of access to services.
3. Right to information
   Every individual has the right to access to all information regarding his or her state of health, the health services and how to use them, and all that scientific research and technological innovation make available.
4. Right to consent
   Every individual has the right of access to all information that might enable him or her to actively participate in the decisions regarding his or her health; this information is a prerequisite for any procedure and treatment, including the participation in scientific research.
5. Right to free choice
   Each individual has the right to freely choose from among different treatment procedures and providers on the basis of adequate information.
6. Right to privacy and confidentiality
   Every individual has the right to the confidentiality of personal information, including information regarding his or her state of health and potential diagnostic or therapeutic procedures, as well as the protection of his or her privacy during the performance of diagnostic exams, specialist visits, and medical/surgical treatments in general.
7. Right to respect of patients’ time
   Each individual has the right to receive necessary treatment within a swift and predetermined period of time. This right applies at each phase of the treatment.
8. Right to the observance of quality standards
   Each individual has the right of access to high quality health services on the basis of the specification and observance of precise standards.
9. Right to safety
   Each individual has the right to be free from harm caused by the poor functioning of health services, medical malpractice and errors, and the right of access to health services and treatments that meet high safety standards.
10. Right to innovation
    Each individual has the right of access to innovative procedures, including diagnostic procedures, according to international standards and independently of economic or financial considerations.
11. Right to avoid unnecessary suffering and pain
    Each individual has the right to avoid as much suffering and pain as possible, in each phase of his or her illness.
12. Right to personalized treatment
    Each individual has the right to diagnostic or therapeutic programmes tailored as much as possible to his or her personal needs.
13. Right to complain
    Each individual has the right to complain whenever he or she has suffered a harm and the right to receive a response or other feedback.
14. Right to compensation
    Each individual has the right to receive sufficient compensation within a reasonably short time whenever he or she has suffered physical or moral and psychological harm caused by a health service treatment

ECPC Position on Cancer Patients' Rights

Based on the ACN's "European Charter of Cancer Patients Rights", ECPC would like to highlight a number of amendments which are deemed necessary because they outline specific needs of cancer patients:

1. Right to prevention must include early detection
   Every individual should have the right not only on prevention of illness, but also on access to early detection programmes as common cancers can be treated at an early stage.
2. No discrimination also on age, race, gender, and economic status of individuals
   Over and above the criteria of non-discrimination on the basis of financial resources, residence, kind of illness and time of access, ECPC strongly supports the call of the Warsaw Declaration which opposed the discrimination because of age, race, gender, domicile and economic status in respect of the latest cancer treatment.
3. Right to return to work or receive financial support
   Cancer patients should have the right to return to work, or if unable, to receive social benefits.
4. Right to multidisciplinary treatment and second opinion
   Every individual has the right to an optimal health care service. Because cancers are very complex diseases, health services should be delivered by multidisciplinary teams of doctors and carers. Patients must have the right to a second opinion,
5. Right to mobility
   Because experts for certain cancers are sometimes far away, patients must have the free choice of the place where the best possible care is provided. As mobility creates a financial burden for individuals, patients should receive support for mobility.
6. Right to quality care also based on expert guidelines
   Over and above the right of access to high quality health services based on official standards, cancer patients should receive diagnostics and treatment in accordance to agreed national and international expert guidelines.
7. Right to representation
   Patients’ advocacy groups empower patients to be an equal partner in cancer care, optimizing treatment and outcome in all areas that affect their health. Cancer patients must be supported in their right to build representative authorities, and must be represented in all relevant decision making bodies of healthcare.