| Abstract: | The Patients' Rights advocate was introduced by the Patient's Rights Act (hereinafter the Act), which entered into force on 26 August 2008. The Act, which the Ministry had been preparing for several years, enabled equal, appropriate, high-quality and safe care for patients. The Act concerns the patients as well as providers of health services, medical doctors and other healthcare or allied professionals. In 2017, the Act was revised. Important changes were introduced in the field of patients' rights advocates. The predecessor of the patients' rights advocate, ombudsman for patients' rights, has indirectly influenced the establishment of the patients' rights representative. By the end of 2009, the Government appointed first 12 advocates, who, based on their legal authorization, can be involved in concrete procedures and represent individual patients when enforcing alleged violations of their rights from Article 5 of the Act, based on the patient's authorization. Local Health Insurance Institutes provide professional and administrative-technical assistance. Patients' rights advocates shall provide patients with basic information, offer professional assistance and propose specific directions in exercising rights in the field of the healthcare system, health insurance and the provision of healthcare services. Patients' rights advocates shall be appointed by the representative body of the region based on a public call for proposals. The term of a patient's rights advocate shall be five years and can be renewed. In addition to the patient's rights advocate, human rights ombudsman, ombudsman for patient's rights, mental health representative, mediator and in some European countries the as well ombudsman, are authorized to protect patients' rights. |
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