Pandemic legislation in the European Union: Fit for purpose? The need for a systematic comparison of national laws.

Sound governance is central to effective pandemic management. Key international legal instruments governing pandemic management in the European Union (EU): the International Health Regulations (2005) and Decision 1082/13 require EU Member States to develop national plans and invite them to establish national legal frameworks to support compliance with this international legislation. Although Member States may design the legal framework as they choose, the strongest instrument of pandemic governance is national legislation. It is currently unclear what national pandemic governance exists in Member States as it has not been mapped, i.e. identified and collated. Legal analysis and empirical evaluation of implementation and impact have therefore not been possible. We propose comprehensive mapping to create the necessary comparative data for legal analysis assessing national legislation's compliance with international obligations and ethical principles. Empirical research could evaluate its effectiveness in promoting cross-border coherence and robust emergency response. We draw on the U.S. experience with "policy surveillance", the systematic scientific mapping of laws of public health importance. Until national pandemic governance is mapped and evaluated, we cannot know if it is lawful, ethical or effective

Gabriella Berki, Free Movement of Patients in the EU-A Patient’s Perspective

The right of EU citizens to receive health care in other Member States, paid by their home country, is a valuable benefit, capable of greatly improving the quality of life of those who use it, but involving legal complexity, cumbersome processes, and inequalities. Gabriella Berki’s book, which originated as a doctoral thesis, examines these flaws with the aim of identifying how ‘European cross-border patient mobility legislation can be improved in a way that better serves patients’ interests while respecting the responsibilities of the Member States in this field’ (p x). Dr Berki is now an Assistant Professor and lecturer at universities in Hungary, France, and Croatia, so she brings a useful pan-European..

From the Editors

Welcome to the latest edition of the Jefferson Interprofessional Education and Care Newsletter. In our past newsletter we described a meeting that took place February 2011 that previewed the core competencies presented by IPEC. We are pleased to announce that TJU has adopted four IPE core competencies for Interprofessional Collaborative Practice, they are; Values/Ethics‐ Respect the unique cultures, values, roles/responsibilities and expertise of other health professionals; Roles/ Responsibilities‐ Explain the roles and responsibilities of other health/healthcare providers and how the team works together to provide care; Interprofessional Communication‐ Work to ensure common understanding of information, treatment, and health/healthcare decisions by listening actively, communicating effectively, encouraging ideas and opinions of other team members and expressing one’s knowledge and opinions with confidence clarity and respect; Team and Teamwork‐ Reflect on the attributes of highly functioning teams and demonstrate the responsibilities and practices of effective team member(s)