Paneuropean development of patients’ rights represent a relatively recent concern, the legislative norms of which aim at granting to patients real-time access to all sorts of medical services. To this end, the European Union implemented a unitary normative professional and juridical background: Directive 2011/24/U.E. on the rights of patients to international treatments.
Consequently, the patients are free to choose themselves the suppliers of medical services which do not include hospitalization, without a previous authorisation (country, doctor and medical institution) while, in the case of long-term treatments, a principial authorisation will be necessary. In both cases, the carrier of the therapeutic service receives the payment for his actions at the level of those established at national level, the difference being usually payed by the patient.
- international medical assistance
- management of rare diseases
- national information centers
- reference networks
- the right to health
- unitary communication system.