In the provision of health care, there are frequent conflicts between patients and health professionals. Hospital ombudsmen try to solve these as mediators. About thirty of them met on 20/10/21 and 10/2022/XNUMX, in Horní Lomná, to exchange their experiences in a discussion panel.
The ombudsmen, who deal with patient complaints about the care provided in healthcare facilities, met these days at a working meeting in the Beskydy Mountains. This time the host and organizer of the working meeting was the Regional Hospital Třinec and she was the main organizer Association of Ombudsmen in the Health Care of the Czech Republic, vol
She was the main point on the agenda on the first day The issue of complaints against healthcare providers, the work of the ombudsman in healthcare in the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia and Belgium. On this point, JUDr. spoke about their experiences. Vladimíra Dvořáková, hospital ombudsman from FN MOTOL. M.Sc. Danuta Zwierz, a specialist in quality and patient rights from the Silesian Hospital in Cieszyn, Poland, reported on the situation in Poland. The participants learned what it looks like in Slovakia from PhDr. M.Sc. Janka Lipničanová, hospital ombudsman and mediator from the SNP Ružomberok Military Hospital. Subsequently, the view of the work of the ombudsman in the health sector in Belgium and Israel was supplemented with very interesting information by the Deputy Minister of Health, Bc. Joseph Pavlovic.
On the second day of the meeting, other topics followed, for example The position of the hospital ombudsman in the healthcare system and the Ministry's work on its establishment from the point of view of legislation, which was presented by Mgr. Šárka Liolia from the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic. Another point was the lecture by Mgr. Michaela Přetáková from the Health Department of the Office of the Public Defender of Rights of the Czech Republic with the name News and findings of the public defender of rights in the field of health care - making recordings by patients. The entire meeting ended with a double block entitled Health care worker – patient conflicts, adverse events – attacks on health care workers and the possibilities of their physical and legal defense and protection, which was presented by Petr Ballek, hospital ombudsman from the Rudolf and Stefanie Benešov Hospital, who is also the chairman of the association and Ing. Václav Polok, hospital ombudsman Třinec Hospital po
The meeting was also attended by representatives of the Department of Health Care of the Vysočina Region and the Central Bohemian Region. All participants highly appreciated its great contribution, and above all the exchange of experience, and also expressed interest in continuing these conferences at the international level.
Václav Polok, hospital ombudsman, Třinec Hospital: "This is the second nationwide meeting of hospital ombudsmen in the Czech Republic this year. The task is to exchange experiences, learn new knowledge from new situations, new solutions. In particular, this meeting is exceptional in that we have the opportunity to meet our colleagues from Slovakia and Poland for the first time and thus exchange our own experiences with solving their problems, or handling complaints and other work with our patients and medical professionals."
Petr Ballek, Chairman of the Association of Ombudsmen in the Health Care Sector of the Czech Republic: "The Association of Ombudsmen in the Healthcare Sector of the Czech Republic was established in 2019, and since then we have been meeting across the entire republic, and not only the so-called hospital ombudsmen, but all workers who deal with the complaints agenda. This means that if the client or the patient's family is not satisfied with the health service provider, they can contact us and we will then resolve the complaint or help with communication. We often act as mediators, many times we calm down a tense situation on the spot and find a solution."
Vladimíra Dvořáková from the FN in Prague's Motol has extensive experience in ombudsman work.
Vladimíra Dvořáková, hospital ombudsman, FN Motol: "The agenda with which patients and other persons, for example relatives of patients, turn to us is very varied. This will happen at the moment when patients believe that their rights have been violated or threatened and they ask for redress, they ask for understanding, they ask for an explanation, and my goal is to make it so that he is satisfied. Not in the sense that he is always right, but to explain to him why his opinion was the opposite of the hospital's opinion. That is, to find a solution that will be acceptable to both sides, and both sides will accept it."
In conclusion, the ombudsmen agree that without their help, a number of disputes between patients and hospitals would end up unnecessarily in the courts with an uncertain outcome, and their role in the healthcare system is therefore very important not only today, but also in the future. He also appreciates this Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic, which was confirmed with his participation and contribution by the Deputy Minister of Health, Bc. Joseph Pavlovic.
Press release of the Association of Ombudsmen in the Health Care of the Czech Republic, vol