Direitos humanos dos pacientes como instrumentos bioéticos de proteção das pessoas idosas / Human rights of patients as bioethic instruments for the protection of elderly people

Objetivo: aprofundar o emprego do referencial dos direitos humanos dos pacientes enquanto ferramenta bioética na análise e prescrição de questões éticas emergentes dos cuidados em saúde. Metodologia: trata-se de pesquisa teórica desenvolvida com base no marco formulado pelos autores Cohen&Ezer e Albuquerque acerca dos direitos humanos do paciente. Resultados: a interação entre a bioética e os direitos humanos do paciente pode mostrar-se positiva no contexto das relações de cuidados em saúde, especialmente em pessoas vulneráveis. Conclusão: a soma de esforços entre os dois campos possibilita o amadurecimento do tema e a criação de mecanismos capazes de proporcionar um maior avanço na proteção dos direitos humanos dos pacientes, sobretudo dos pacientes idosos.

Objective: to deepen the use of the human rights referent of patients as a bioethical tool in the analysis and prescription of emerging ethical issues in health care. Methodology: it is a theoretical research developed based on the framework formulated by the authors Cohen&Ezer and Albuquerque on the human rights of the patient. Results: the interaction between bioethics and the patient's human rights can be positive in the context of health care relationships, especially in vulnerable people.Conclusion: the sum of efforts between the two fields makes possible the maturation of the subject and the creation of mechanisms capable of providing a greater advance in the protection of the human rights of patients, especially of the elderly patients.

Objetivo: profundizar el empleo del referencial de los derechos humanos de los pacientes como herramienta bioética en el análisis y prescripción de cuestiones éticas emergentes de la atención en salud. Metodología: se trata de una investigación teórica desarrollada con base en el marco formulado por los autores Cohen&Ezer y Albuquerque acerca de los derechos humanos del paciente. Resultados: la interacción entre la bioética y los derechos humanos del paciente puede mostrarse positiva en el contexto de las relaciones de atención sanitaria, especialmente en las personas vulnerables.Conclusion: la suma de esfuerzos entre los dos campos posibilita la maduración del tema y la creación de mecanismos capaces de proporcionar un mayor avance en la protección de los derechos humanos de los pacientes, sobre todo de los pacientes ancianos.

Issues on the Eligibility Management System in Medical Aid

The Ministry of Health and Welfare introduced a new reimbursement system called the Eligibility Management System in Medical Aid in July 2007. The operation of this system is interlocked with patient care programs of medical institutions. The new system was expected to realize effective management of the eligibility of beneficiaries by interactive communications between medical institutions and the National Health Insurance Corporation (NHIC) and thereby improve financial stabilization of the reimbursement system and optimize healthcare practices by preventing moral hazards in the relationship between beneficiaries and medical institutions. For the effective operation of this system, however, several drawbacks need to be resolved; firstly, one can currently use the system only through the internet, secondly, there is a legal issue that medical institutions are the subject of the management of eligibility, and lastly, healthcare information needs to be transferred to NHIC in a real-time manner. Particularly the last one needs a special attention because it can raise critical concerns of potential violation of human rights of patients and unnecessary regulations of medical practices.