Patients' rights in the European Union : mapping eXercise : executive summary

This report aims to provide an overview of patients' rights in all EU Member States, Norway and Iceland by mapping national patients' rights legislation, soft-law, structures and enforcement procedures ensuring the rights of patients. The mapping exercise was performed from January to September 2015 providing a cross-sectional view of the patients' rights situation in the 30 countries under study. The mapping exercise included a literature review, a review of activities funded by the EU Health programme, the Research and Innovation Framework Programme and by the European Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (EIP-AHA). Furthermore, qualitative assessment of the patients' rights situation was undertaken by national patients' rights experts by means of a survey. Preliminary results were presented and discussed with a wide range of relevant stakeholders at a workshop on September 10th and 11th 2015 in Brussels.