Assessing European patients'

rights in Romania
Assessment coordinated by the
Romanian Multiple Sclerosis Society
 About the Partnership
Our society accepted the partnership with ACN for assessing
European patients' rights because it is an organization for
patients in Romania and is directly interested by the patients
rights.

Also, our organization working to improve patients' quality of

life in Romania through their active involvement, active public
participation and partnership development.

In this project we wanted to evaluate knowledge of European

patients' rights in three major hospitals in Romania and if they
are implemented.
 Ministry of Health in Romania
-In Romania, the first contact with Ministry of Health was
difficult because of the consequences of the old system of
government. Always citizens and citizens organizations have
taken the first step in dialogue with central authorities.
-To receive questionnaire responses from the Ministry of
Health, we had to explain that the purpose of this project is not
to check and punish, but to evaluate and propose
improvements and support for patients' rights.
-At first, we have received incomplete questionaire from the
Ministry of health and we had to ask for additions. This
happened because the public health system is unstable.
 Hospitals monitored
- County Emergency Clinical Hospital, Cluj-
Available acute care beds 1454
-Universitary Emergency Hospital, Bucharest -
Available acute care beds 900
- Elias Universitary Emergency Hospital,
Bucharest - Available acute care beds 700
 Hospitals monitoring
-Generaly, in monitoring the hospitals, we faced the same
barriers as in the case of Ministry of Health.
- But during the application of assessment tools, hospital
managers wanted to share with them the final results and
see what we can do better.
- Hospital managers led us inside the hospital and I had
the opportunity to view ambulatory areas and they have
provided us jusitificative documents that we requested.
- The most active hospital in assessment was: Universitary
Emergency Hospital from Bucharest
 European Patinets’ Right

1-Right to Preventive Measures - Resources are spent on curative

measures, treatment, and less on prevention, such as cervical cancer
prevention.
2-Right of Access - people in Romania do not know their right to access
3-Right to Information - citizens organizations in partnership with the
public health system provides information on the macro level, but patients
in Romania are not informed specifically.
4-Right to Consent - Generaly, in Romania Patients give their consent on a
form in the hospitals.
5-Right to Free Choice - is not sufficiently respected this right because
patients are limited resources to choice a treatment in another EU country.
6-Right to Privacy and Confidentiality this right is respected beacuse the
patient must complete a form in the hospitals
7-Right to Respect of Patients’ Time - The assessment made​​, we saw that it
respects this right, but sometimes, in particular happens to be violated.
 European Patients’ Right
8-Right to the Quality - Patient satisfaction assessment is regularly, but
development of health services depends on the resources.
9-Right to Safety - Hospitals are equipped with safety measures for patients.
10-Right to Innovation - in our experience, we found that hospitals use
innovative equipment, but many hospitals in the country are in need of
innovation for patient safety .
11-Right to Avoid Unnecessary Suffering and Pain - this right is respected in
hospitals
12-Right to Personalized Treatment - Unfortunately, in Romania patients do
not benefit from a personalized system for their needs.
13-Right to Complain – in Romania are ways to complain, but patients are not
familiar with this right.
14-Right to Compensation – This possibility exists but is made​​, if requested by
patients.
 CITIZENS’ POINT OF VIEW ON
PATIENTS’ RIGHTS
-One of the most active Organizations of pacients in
Romania is Federation of Associations for Cancer
Patients it is part of the Coalition for Patients with
Chronic Diseases in Romania.
- The opinion of this organization is that patient rights
are violated in Romania and we have to contribute
more to not violate the patients' rights!
 Results
PRES - Patients' Rights Euro Scores

UK
SPAIN
SLOVAKIA
FRANCE
ITALY
ESTONIA Looking to score
BELGIUM
FINLAND The patient’s rights in
MEAN
POLAND Romania
PORTUGAL -Hardly respected
LITHUANIA
GREECE -Partly respected
MALTA
ROMANIA
BULGARIA
GERMANY
LATVIA
MACEDONIA
HUNGARY
CYPRUS

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
 Conclusions
The result is not very good for Romania
And this demonstrates that the health system is
not focused on patients care and their interests.
We have a lot of work to do in our country.

And the first step was made ->

 Active citizenship as a right
- In Romania, citizens already involved in civic
activities;
- Citizens carry out advocacy activities with
patients organizations. We have many good
practices in this area;
-We need to involve more and to participate in
policy-making.
 Thank you
Cosmina Dudu
Romanian Multiple Sclerosis Society
Buzaului Street No 2B
Oradea, Bihor, ROMANIA
phone: +40 725 544 833
E-mail: cosmina.dudu@smromania.ro