Volume 13, Issue 1/2011

2011 presents itself as a year of changes. Two changes deserve a place in this editorial. After several years of exclusion of healthcare from the general Services Directive, the European Parliament voted on January 19th in favour of the EU Directive on Patients' Rights in Cross- Border Healthcare. This Directive is a very important step in aligning the rulings by the European Court of Justice on cross-...

Prachi Shukla from World Health Partners in India fought off fierce competition to take home the coveted IT @ 2011 Trophy and a record 5,000 Euro cash prize at the IT @ Networking Awards 2011. The winning solution, Healthcare for the Rural Poor, combines technology with village entrepreneurs acting as facilitators to connect rural communities with formally qualified urban doctors. Using remote medical di...

After a long battle with cancer Asger Hansen passed away on January 14th, 2011. Asger Hansen will definitely be remembered as one of the biggest personalities within the EAHM; his enthusiasm and dedication to the association never faltered. In recognition of his active role in the association, Asger was made an Honorary Member of EAHM at the 2010 congress in Zurich. For 25 years he represented the Dani...

A comprehensive survey of the surgical workforce by the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) reveals almost three quarters of consultant surgeons work more than their contracted hours and seventy percent report they are expected to undertake elective operations while they are supposed to be on call for emergencies. The Surgical Workforce Report 2010 is the first edition of what will become an annual survey of...

The French Ministry of Health has recently introduced the PLATINES health portal (PLATeforme d'INformations sur les Etablissements de Santé) allowing the public to obtain detailed information about health institutions in Metropolitan France and in the French Overseas Departments and Territories. The Ministry of Health collects the data annually as part of the annual statistics of health institutions (SAE)...

An electronic doctor's card scheme was rolled out on 1 February 2011 in the western German state of Rhineland- Pfalz. Doctors in this state have been able to apply for an electronic doctor's card (eArztausweis). This electronic doctor's card can replace the conventional medical ID card. It contains a microchip that stores the doctor's signature, enabling them to sign electronic documents in a legally val...

The Vice-President of the European Commission, Neelie Kroes, and United States Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius have signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Washington, to promote a common approach on the interoperability of electronic health records and on education programmes for information technology and health professionals. The memorandum aims to foster a mutual understandi...

On 25 January 2011, the European Parliament's Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee (ENVI) adopted a report on the management of the outbreak of H1N1 influenza in 2009-2010. The report highlights important concerns in terms of cooperation by the Member States, independence of the health authorities and transparency. It criticises the disproportionate response to the pandemic and raises conce...

Hospitals are legal minefields. From medical errors and malpractice suits to data security, hospitals are high-risk establishments. In order to find out the main legal issues facing today's hospitals, (E)Hospital spoke to Dr. Leopold- Michael Marzi, Director of Vienna General Hospital's Legal Office. Dr. Marzi, thank you for agreeing to speak with us. As Director of Vienna General Hospital's legal office,...

Nothing is more difficult to change than prejudices and inflexible opinions. Thus, many legal practitioners hold the opinion (and rightly so to some extent) that they cannot change the matters they assess because these matters have not been caused by them. A criminal judge, who has to deal with traffic accidents occurring far away from his workplace on a daily basis, may be quite right in thinking this way...

E-Health promises to be a cost-effective and efficient way of providing healthcare at an affordable cost to patients who would otherwise be excluded or underserviced. However, e-health also comes with a series of ethical and legal challenges which, if not met before its implementation, could undermine its success. Among other things, changes in the nature of the healthcare professional-patient relationship...

This issue includes a special section on pharmaceuticals. Our aim is to keep you up to date with the latest issues in hospital pharmacy; from e-prescribing in the ICU to pharmacoeconomics in breast cancer treatment. To get a general overview, who better to ask than Dr. Roberto Frontini, President of the European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP). (E)Hospital: Dr. Frontini, Thank You for Agreeing...

The safe handling of hazardous or cytotoxic drugs is of huge importance for pharmacists, doctors, nurses and hospital managers alike. Workers may be exposed to a cytotoxic drug during all stages of its life cycle - from manufacture to transport and distribution, to use in healthcare or home care settings, to waste disposal. But what are cytotoxic drugs and what precautions should be taken to ensure patient...

Breast cancer represents the most common type of cancer for female patients. It is estimated that approximately 210,000 new cases occurred in 2010 in USA, while approximately 40,000 patients succumbed to their disease (1). Because of its high incidence, it is clear that breast cancer is a disease with a great epidemiologic and economic burden. There are many alternative therapies for managing patients nowa...

The healthcare sector is subject to great technological change in an effort to improve current practice and patient safety. While the use of information technology has been encouraged as a solution to improve patient safety and reduce medication errors, appropriate methods must be applied to the design and development of such systems to ensure they are usable. An interdisciplinary team, comprising experts...

With any major hospital build comes the notion that a much better corporation will come out of the new buildings – for staff, for patients and financially. The idea is to create an ultramodern hospital in all possible aspects, both once inaugurated and in many years to come. The parties involved use buzzwords such as 'flexibility', 'sustainability' and 'general standards'; however, a hospital meeting all...

The economic challenges besetting the healthcare industry in recent years has inspired architecture firms to find a way to use technology to help clients make objective, data-based decisions regarding new hospital and clinic projects. This service, called "Simulation," has proven effective in assessing the need for additions and renovations as well as helping plan new facilities. Using discrete event simul...

A staff appraisal is a periodical advisory and support discussion between staff members and management that fosters agreements about objectives and the achievement of targets, which can be incorporated into target agreements. This process provides the opportunity, in a systematic and structured way that is outside of every-day working routine, to discuss matters that support and advance target-oriented coo...

Economic Context After election victory in the spring of 2010, the Orbán administration took over the governance of Hungary in adverse circumstances. The economic crisis in the world had only slightly abated and the economy of the European Union was also hit hard, shown in bad economic indicators of some euro zone countries. Naturally, Hungary could not be exempt from outside influences and strict measure...

The Professional Association of Hospital Managers (Egészségügyi Gazdasági Vezetök Egyesülete – EGVE) was founded just before the political change in Hungary. The foundation of the association was initiated by a group of colleagues, who had some experience from the "east", and supported by some prominent leaders of the former Ministry of Health. The association is widely free of politics, dealing ex...

Une Année De Changements L'année 2011 se présente comme une année de changements. Deux méritent une place dans cet éditorial. Après plusieurs années d'exclusion des soins de santé de la directive sur les services généraux, le Parlement européen a voté le 19 janvier dernier en faveur de la directive européenne sur les droits des patients concernant les prestations de soins de santé trans fr...

Une Initiative Du « World Health Partners » A Gagné Le Premier Prix Du It @ Networking 2011 Prachi Shukla de « World Health Partners », en Inde, a fait face à une forte concurrence avant de remporter le très convoité Trophée « IT @ 2011 » et un prix de 5 000 euros au IT @ NETWORKING Awards 2011. La solution gagnante, « Healthcare for the Rural Poor », pour des soins de santé destinés...

Interview Du Dr Marzi, Hôpital Général De Vienne M. Marzi, directeur du service juridique de l'Hôpital général de Vienne, nous a accordé du temps pour parler des questions juridiques auxquelles font face nos hôpitaux actuellement. Selon lui, les principales questions juridiques sont en perpétuelle évolution et il est indispensable d'avoir une vision d'avenir des tendances avant qu'elles n'influ...

Neue Kapitel Aufschlagen 2011 präsentiert sich als Jahr der Veränderungen. Zwei dieser Veränderungen verdienen es, in diesem Leitartikel erwähnt zu werden. Nachdem die Gesundheitsversorgung mehrere Jahre lang von der allgemeinen Dienstleistungsrichtlinie ausgeschlossen war, hat das Europäische Parlament am 19. Januar für die EU Richtlinie über Patientenrechte bei der Grenzüberschreitenden Gesundhe...

Whp Initiative: Gesundheitssorge Für Arme Ländliche Bevölkerung Gewinnt 1. Preis Beim it @Networking 2011 Prachi Shukla von den World Health Partners in Indien setzte sich gegen eine harte Konkurrenz durch und nahm die begehrte IT @ 2011 Trophäe und die Rekordsumme von 5.000 Euro in bar bei den IT @ Networking Awards 2011 mit nach Hause. Die preisgekrönte Lösung, Gesundheitssorge für arme l�...

Juristisches Interview: Dr. Marzi, Allgemeines Krankenhaus Wien Dr. Marzi, Leiter der Rechtsabteilung am Wiener Allgemeinen Krankenhaus, nahm sich die Zeit, um mit (E)Hospital über aktuelle rechtliche Probleme zu sprechen, denen sich Krankenhäuser heutzutage gegenüber sehen. Seiner Meinung nach ändern sich die wesentlichen Punkte, und am wichtigsten sei es, Trends vorauszusehen, bevor sie unser tägl...