Patient Mobility In The European Union: Learning From Experience

Patient Mobility in the European Union Learning from experience Edited by Magdalene Rosenmöller Martin McKee Rita Baeten ´ ˆ European SIXTH FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME on Health Systems and Policies Patient Mobility in the European Union Learning from experience This book has been elaborated under the Europe for Patients project and is published under the auspices of the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies AIM The Europe for Patients (e4p) project, launched in February 2004, studies the benefits and challenges of patient mobility in Europe with the objective to provide the evidence needed to maximize the benefits that can be achieved with enhanced patient mobility in Europe. The objective is to enable policy makers at EU and national level to take concerted and coordinated action to allow Europe’s citizens/patients to benefit from enhanced mobility in Europe through actions at different levels (regional, national, European) employing legal, organizational and regulatory approaches, building on earlier work developed for the Ghent conference of December 2001 under the Belgian Presidency. The project brings together a multidisciplinary team drawing on legal, health policy, health services research and health management perspectives, covering the European Union, including the new Member States. The team, led by IESE Business School (Spain), is formed by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (United Kingdom), the London School of Economics and Political Science (United Kingdom), the Observatoire Social Européen (Belgium), the Faculty of Law of Ghent University (Belgium), the Centre for Cross-Border Studies (Ireland), the Institute of Public Health (Slovenia), Praxis (Estonia), the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, the Veneto Region (Italy) and the Association Internationale de Mutualité (AIM). This project is supported through the Thematic Priority “Integrating and Strengthening the European Research Area” heading of the European Union’s FP6 – Contract Number SP21 CT 2003 501586. SIXTH FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME The European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies supports and promotes evidencebased health policy-making through comprehensive and rigorous analysis of health care systems in Europe. It brings together a wide range of policy-makers, academics and practitioners to analyse trends in health care reform, drawing on experience from across Europe to illuminate policy issues. The European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies is a partnership between the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe, the Governments of Belgium, Finland, Greece, Norway, Spain and Sweden, the Veneto Region of Italy, the European Investment Bank, the Open Society Institute, the World Bank, CRP-Santé Luxembourg, the London School of Economics and Political Science, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. In memory of Ruta Kruuda (1967–2005) Patient Mobility in the European Union Learning from experience Edited by Magdalene Rosenmöller Lecturer, and Scientific Coordinator, Europe for Patients project, IESE Business School, Barcelona, Spain Martin McKee Professor of European Public Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and Research Director, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, London, United Kingdom Rita Baeten Researcher, Observatoire Social Européen, Brussels, Belgium Keywords: DELIVERY OF HEALTH CARE – organization and administration TRAVEL PATIENT CARE – methods HEALTH POLICY HEALTH SERVICES ACCESSIBILITY – legislation and jurisprudence INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION HOSPITALS HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH EUROPEAN UNION © World Health Organization 2006, on behalf of the Europe 4 Patients project and the European Observatory on