Protecting Patients' Rights?: A Comparative Study of the Ombudsman in Health Care
Edited by L. Fallberg and S. MackenneyRadcliffe Medical Press2003ISBN 1857758706
Keywords: Ombudsman, International comparison
"Ombudsman" has been adopted in a number of countries over the years,as a term for an administrative system that aims to protect the interests of individuals who complain against the system. However, this protection varies considerably from country to country. With an eminent list of international contributors this book provides an overview of the role of the ombudsman in relation to health care in countries with substantial cultural and historical differences: Austria, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Norway and the UK. It demonstrates practical ways to protect patients' rights, looking at how each system operates, identifying the best components from each, as well as proposing future reforms.
