The Right to Health Care in Several European Countries

The right to health care is changing over time and its content varies from country to country. Considering the right to health care on a singular plane fails to take account of the many differing applicable health care perspectives and their ramifications. Instead, the right to health care must be considered as a multidimensional concept. An expert meeting hosted by the Department of Health Policy and Management, Erasmus University, convened in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, in April of 1998 addressed the meaning and consequences of the right to health care in changing health care systems. Commissioned for this expert meeting, the papers published in this text address many differing perspectives on the right to health care, including international and national views, the role of various legal principles and the function of courts, and the organizational dimension. Awareness of these multiple perspectives and their ramifications is important in moving forward amidst the changing climate of health care rights. For example, reviewing knowledge and exchanging experiences from other countries helps enhance understanding of the meaning behind health care principles and provides an avenue for shared advice amongst those countries with commonalties in their systems. By offering this diverse range of viewpoints and coverage, the book provides a resource for anyone interested in health care rights.