engleski

Patients’ rights in the Republic of Croatia – between the law and reality

Croatia was the first transition country to emerge after the break-up of the Former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, where patients' rights were regulated by law. However, althought the legislation on patient's rights was a significant step in drawing closer to international standards of protection of patients' rights, that is the standards that exists in developed western democracies, lagislation alone still does not have a significant effect on the actual position of patients in the Croatian helath care system. After an analysis of causes of the gulf between the law and the actual position of patients the conclusion may still be drawn that the legislation on patients' rights in Croatia was at the beginning of a process, which, by the logic of the development of democrarcy and civilisation, is impossible to stop. The lagislation is, however, only one element in the process of protecting and improving patients' rights- as human rights. The second and no less important element in that process is development of a culture of respect for and protection of human rights in general and human rights of vulnerable categories of people, and citizens being patients, especially when they are sick, certainly make those vulnerable categories. Alongside political will shown through legislative and other strategic documents in the filed of helath and social policies, in order to acheive these goals, information and education on human rights are the key issues, taht is patients' rights at all levels. in general public and at scientific and professional level.

patients' rights ; legislation ; information

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