Health, Healthcare and Ageing Populations in Europe, a Human Rights Challenge for European Health Systems.

Demographic changes (ageing populations) are a challenge for European health systems. Innovative solutions must ensure elderly patients equitable access to good quality, affordable healthcare. De-centralisation and de-institutionalisation in healthcare for the elderly have become policy priorities for European countries.

Medical confidentiality and patient safety: reporting procedures.

Medical confidentiality is of individual and of general interest. Medical confidentiality is not absolute. European countries differ in their legislative approaches of consent for data-sharing and lawful breaches of medical confidentiality.

Prisoners right to healthcare, a European perspective.

The right to healthcare applies regardless of a person's legal status. Prisoners have a right to a healthcare equivalent to the one in the community at large: access to medical care and preventive measures of good quality and costs covered. States have a positive duty to provide for appropriate healthcare in prison, including harm reduction policies (for instance health screening, vaccination and needle exchange).

Pharmacogenetics: a new challenge for health law.

Developments in pharmacogenetics make it possible to determine the genetic factors that influence variations in response to medicine. Differences in response to medication may be related to the genetic characteristics of the individual, to the genetic make-up of the diseased tissue or to both. Advantages include optimal therapeutic effect, safe medication, minimised side-effects, and development of medication for small groups of patients.

Recent developments in health law in the Netherlands.

This article gives a few examples of recent developments in Dutch health law, namely equal access to health care, compulsory placement and treatment in a psychiatric hospital, and end of life decisions. They are outstanding examples of trends in health legislation that require to be followed closely.