2002

Protecting the health care consumer in a borderless European health care market.

PROTECTING THE CONSUMER IN A BORDERLESS EUROPEAN HEALTH CARE MARKET

Leif Erik Nohr, Norwegian Centre for Telemedicine, University Hospital of North Norway

Modern health care systems are beginning to be described as markets, and accordingly, patients are described as consumers. Driven by forces like patient empowerment, globalisation and the use of modern information- and communication technologies, health care are being provided under systems and by means where national borders are of less importance and the traditional patient-doctor relationship is challenged.

A change like this obviously affects many aspects of health care. It has economic, organisational, political and legal implications - many of which we still cannot foresee. One aspect that is and will be very important, is that in a market where national borders are less important, the protection from national legislation will be reduced. This is of course a general trend in a globalised world, and one health care will not be excepted from. These are important issues, and one should weigh the advantages of more choice, more possibilities and easier access against the costs of less protection and more responsibility for the patient.

This presentation is based on a belief that patients, even as they start behaving like consumers in a market, will expect some level of protection, and consider this as a part of the overall quality of the health care provided. The challenge is to find ways of ensuring quality and safety for the patients and at the same time open up for more choice and easier access on both a national and an international level.

This presentation discusses possible protective measures for the patient-consumer. The discussion is based on research into what is the current legal protection for consumers, and how, and to what extent, the same thinking and the same measures can be transferred to health care.

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