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News 9th December 2004 MEP John Bowis praises provocative essay on European health care European patients lack critical information about new medicines and treatment options according to MEP John Bowis and Czech writer Pavel Kohout. Bowis yesterday praised an essay by Kohout, which cites stories of patients that were given little hope by their doctors only to then discover newly developed treatment options by coincidence via the media or on the internet. "European patients should be treated with dignity. They have a right to know when new treatments become available," Bowis said. Bowis made his remarks during a reception for Kohout in the European Parliament where he presented the Czech writer with a check for 2500 euros for winning the essay contest "Putting Patients First: Visions for European Health Care." The contest was organized by Tech Central Station, a leading online opinion journal. In his essay, Kohout argues that current European health policies tend to treat the patient as "an object that is being treated without knowing what's going on with him or her." Bowis pointed out that certain groups of patients, such as people suffering from mental health problems, have a particularly hard time getting information about their medical conditions and possible treatment. He added that the EU is looking at ways to give all Europeans better access to health information. Kohout's essay may provide inspiration for EU lawmakers. The essay proposes an end to current EU restrictions on access to information for patients. According to Kohout, EU decionmakers could also learn from studying health systems outside the EU. "Perhaps the most efficient system in Europe is the Swiss system," says Kohout. "The Swiss model embraces competition and market principles. This is the model to study and follow. The EU should take it very seriously." |
