Ethical review procedures for clinical trials in Greece

Although traditional views on medical practice and a societal distrust of institutions have hampered the development of ethics committees, various legislative and ministerial actions have been taken in Greece in order to establish a firm basis for the ethical review of clinical trials. This paper examines the current status of ethics committees in Greece and the procedures for reviewing research protocols, which are fully in line with international guidelines

The milk and the honey: ethics of artificial nutrition and hydration of the elderly on the other side of Europe

Many health problems that elderly people face today relate not only to the nature of their affliction but also to the kind of treatment required. Such treatment often includes artificial nutrition and hydration, (ANH) a procedure which, despite its technical and invasive character, is still considered to be vested with symbolic meanings. It is precisely during the efforts to reach a legal consensus that the discrepancies between various cultural contexts become obvious. The following case explores the Greek clinical territory in comparison with the international situation, and the reasons why, in Greece, the right to refuse treatment is not necessarily interpreted as including the right to refuse artificial nutrition and hydration as well

Patient capacity in mental health care: Legal overview

The discriminatory effects of categorizing psychiatric patients into competent and incompetent, have urged lawyers, philosophers and health care professionals to seek a functional approach to capacity assessment. Dutch and English law have produced some guidelines concerning this issue. So far, most legal systems under investigation have concentrated on alternatives for informed consent by the patient in case of mental incapacity, notably substitute decision-making, intervention of a judge and advance directives. It is hard to judge the way in which the law may further adapt to a more functional assessment of capacity, because the nature of law shows that legal reforms usually take place only when new methods have been accepted by the field. This is not yet the case today

Is consent in medicine a concept only of modern times?

Although the issue of consent in medical practice has grown immensely in recent years, and it is generally believed that historical cases are unknown, our research amongst original ancient Greek and Byzantine historical sources reveals that it is a very old subject which ancient philosophers and physicians have addressed. Plato, in ancient Greece, connected consent with the quality of a free person and even before him. Hippocrates had advocated seeking the patient’s cooperation in order to combat the disease. In Alexander the Great’s era and later on in Byzantine times, not only was the consent of the patient necessary but physicians were asking for even more safeguards before undertaking a difficult operation. Our study has shown that from om ancient times physicians have at least on occasion been driven to seek the consent of their patient either because of respect for the patient’s autonomy or from fear of the consequences of their failure

Satisfying patients' rights: A hospital patient survey

The aim of this project was to study the way in which patients’ rights are being exercised in everyday hospital practice in Greece. Data were collected by using questionnaires and structured interviews with 600 patients. These patients were found to ignore the fact that special regulations exist regarding their rights. They considered their right to information was being respected, albeit to different degrees. Many patients allowed their doctors to make decisions. The right to confidentiality was not considered as a major priority by these patients because they doubted its applicability. They hesitated to protest when their rights were being violated. They thought that the most effective way of protecting their rights is either through the existence of someone with specialized knowledge or an internal hospital committee. These Greek patients appeared to be relatively satisfied with the way in which their rights were being exercised in hospital. However, a number of improvements could increase patient satisfaction regarding this issue. © 2001, Sage Publications. All rights reserved

The components of good community care for people with severe mental illnesses: Views of stakeholders in five European countries

Researchers and practitioners collaborated in a project across five European countries aimed at defining the characteristics of good community care for people with severe mental illnesses and to explore the values of stakeholders in this debate (clients, families, professionals, policy makers, other citizens). In a concept mapping procedure all stakeholders gave highest priority to a trusting and stimulating relationship between clients and professionals. Secondly, good care was seen as effective treatment tailored to the individual needs. Accessibility of services came in the third place. Differences between the views of stakeholders are discussed

The components of good community care for people with severe mental illnesses: views of stakeholders in five European countries

Researchers and practitioners collaborated in a project across five European countries aimed at defining the characteristics of good community care for people with severe mental illnesses and to explore the values ofstakeholders in this debate (clients, families, professionals, policy makers, other citizens). In a concept mapping procedure all stakeholders gave highest priority to a trusting and stimulating relationship between clients and professionals. Secondly, good care was seen as effective treatment tailored to the individual needs. Accessibility of services came in the third place. Differences between the views of stakeholders are discussed.status: publishe