Protecting Patients' Rights : A Comparative Study of the Ombudsman in Healthcare

This work gives an overview of the role of the Ombudsman (systems to protect citizens' interests) in relation to healthcare in countries with substantial cultural and historical differences.

It demonstrates the most practical ways to protect patients' rights using the Ombudsman system and looks in practical terms at how each system operates and where reforms would be desirable from a national perspective.

The text then identifies the best components from each and proposes future reforms.

Contributors include: George Annas, Gerald Bachinger, Mervi Kattelus, Eftichis Fitrakis, Loanna Arsenopoulou, Judit Sandor; Gayla M Hildesheimer, Carmel Shalev; Olva Molven; Philip Giddings.