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Objectives: To investigate barriers to and facilitators of access to voluntary assisted dying in Victoria under the Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2017 (Vic). Design, setting, participants: Qualitative study; semi‐structured interviews with people who had applied for voluntary assisted dying or their family caregivers, recruited via social media and interested advocacy groups; interviews conducted 17 August – 26 November 2021. Main outcome measures: Barriers to and facilitators of access to voluntary assisted dying. Results: We interviewed 33 participants about 28 people who had applied for voluntary assisted dying; all but one of the interviews were with family caregivers after their relatives' deaths, and all but three were conducted via Zoom. The major barriers to access identified by participants were finding trained and willing doctors to assess eligibility for voluntary assisted dying; the time required for the application process (especially given how ill the applicants were); the prohibition of telehealth consultations; institutional objections to voluntary assisted dying; and the prohibition of health practitioners raising voluntary assisted dying with their patients. The major facilitators mentioned were care navigators (both the Statewide service and local navigators); finding a supportive coordinating practitioner; the Statewide Pharmacy Service; and system flow once the process had been initiated (although not during the early days of voluntary assisted dying in Victoria). Access was particularly difficult for people in regional areas or with neurodegenerative conditions. Conclusions: Access to voluntary assisted dying has improved in Victoria, and people generally felt supported while navigating the application process once they found a coordinating practitioner or a navigator. But this step, and other barriers, often still made patient access difficult. Adequate support for doctors, navigators and other facilitators of access is vital for the effective functioning of the overall process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australia has made significant progress in sexual and reproductive health rights in recent years, decriminalizing access to abortion, enabling telehealth services, and introducing safe access zones. However, the global context of reproductive rights has seen considerable erosion in other countries. The current reproductive rights backlash is not just against abortion, but against the concept of gender and human rights. Australia must continue to protect and advance sexual and reproductive health care, ensuring equitable access and embedding abortion throughout health systems. [Extracted from the article]

The median age of voluntary assisted dying applicants is similar in Victoria and Western Australia (about 73 years).[[15]] Most had advanced cancer (Victoria: 82%; Western Australia: 68%), neurodegenerative diseases (especially motor neurone disease), or organ failure, and most were receiving palliative care (Victoria: 81%; Western Australia: 85%). Keywords: Euthanasia; Terminal care; Legislation, medical EN Euthanasia Terminal care Legislation, medical 208 210 3 09/05/23 20230904 NES 230904 Until six years ago, there were no voluntary assisted dying laws in Australia, despite strong public support and fifty attempts in parliaments around the country. During 2021-22, voluntary assisted dying was involved in 0.58% of all deaths in Victoria,[15] and 1.1% of all deaths in Western Australia.[16] It is involved in 0.59% of deaths in Oregon,[18] where self-administered assisted dying has been available since 1998 for people expected to live less than six months. 17 Sellars M, White B, Yates P, Willmott L. Medical practitioners' views and experiences of being involved in voluntary assisted dying in Victoria, Australia: a qualitative interview study among participating doctors. [Extracted from the article]

Public health, Health promotion, Legislation, medical, Health services, Indigenous health, Healthcare disparities, Patient rights This is because access to health services under the AAAQ framework cannot be considered separate and distinct from health service availability, acceptability and quality: all four AAAQ elements are essential, and overlap and interrelate.[8], [9], [10] For example, a health service might be available on paper, but it is not accessible in practice because the Indigenous health consumer has a disability and is unable to access the health service building or cannot access a computer in an appropriate space for a confidential telehealth consultation. Keywords: Public health; Health promotion; Health services; Legislation, medical; Indigenous health; Healthcare disparities; Patient rights EN Public health Health promotion Health services Legislation, medical Indigenous health Healthcare disparities Patient rights 5 8 4 01/17/23 20230116 NES 230116 Queensland's approach to Indigenous health equity planning and implementation should align with existing international frameworks The Australian state of Queensland is embedding Indigenous-led strategies to advance health equity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (hereafter respectfully referred to as Indigenous people) on paper and in practice. [Extracted from the article]

Legislation, medical, Ethics, professional, Ethics, Cultural competency, Human rights, Racism, Quality of health care Keywords: Ethics, professional; Legislation, medical; Ethics; Cultural competency; Quality of health care; Human rights; Racism EN Ethics, professional Legislation, medical Ethics Cultural competency Quality of health care Human rights Racism 203 205 3 03/21/23 20230315 NES 230315 System-wide racial discrimination and inequitable access to justice impedes Indigenous rights to health and wellbeing Indigenous people's health and health rights have been harmed and undermined by racism globally. However, racial discrimination in the justice system impedes access to health justice. [Extracted from the article]

Keywords: Informed consent; Legislation, medical; Medicolegal; Gender identity; Hormone replacement therapy; Community care; Physician-patient relations; Adolescent medicine EN Informed consent Legislation, medical Medicolegal Gender identity Hormone replacement therapy Community care Physician-patient relations Adolescent medicine 230 233 4 03/22/22 20220315 NES 220315 It is essential that clinicians know the law to shape its evolution In Australia, and across the world, an estimated 2-3% of young people identify as transgender and/or gender diverse (trans),1 with a gender identity that is not congruent with their sex assigned at birth. If there is a dispute about consent or treatment, a doctor should not administer stage 1, 2 or 3 treatment without court authorisation [63].". [Extracted from the article]

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Even if ultimately unfounded, providing raw data to those who request it reciprocates the participants' contribution to research and builds empowerment.9 Implications for clinicians Clinicians who treat patients and recruit them to genomic research studies will increasingly field requests for raw data. Clinicians who recruit their patients to genomic research studies are often provided with a summary report interpreting clinically relevant results they may choose to share with patients. Keywords: Ethics; Legislation, medical; Medicolegal; Clinical decision-making; Delivery of healthcare; Medical records; Genetic testing; Sequence analysis; Patient rights EN Ethics Legislation, medical Medicolegal Clinical decision-making Delivery of healthcare Medical records Genetic testing Sequence analysis Patient rights 550 552 3 06/21/22 20220615 NES 220615 As the number of requests for raw genomic data increases, policies and protocols reflecting the perspectives of clinicians, patients, researchers and research participants are required Next generation sequencing technologies generate vast quantities of genomic data and can identify significant molecular markers associated with disease development and its response to treatments. [Extracted from the article]

The purpose of the article is to analyze the specifics of the Ukrainian doctrine regarding the legal nature of medical services and areas for improving legal regulation. The research is based on the analysis and comparison of Ukrainian and EU law, content analysis of the terminology of legal sources, legal positions of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, scientific researches, description and generalization of existing achievements and issues in the field of legal regulation of healthcare services. Research methods are monographic analysis, systematic and structural analysis, comparative and legal analysis, linguistic analysis, content analysis, method of generalization. The need to unify the special categorical apparatus of Ukrainian legislation has been substantiated. It has been proved that due to the improvement of domestic legislation through the implementation of the norms of European private law, the doctrine and practice of legal regulation will correspond to the nature of the regulated relations. The content, structure, and specific features of legal relations for the provision of medical services in the Ukrainian legal system have been determined. The authors have made a conclusion about the private legal nature of medical services in the domestic legal doctrine. Recommendations have been made for the legislation of Ukraine, which regulates civil relations for the provision of medical services, regarding the introduction of special norms related to the personal non-property rights of the relations' participants, contractual representation of a patient, legal terms for the provision of medical services without obtaining the consent.

The landmark judgment in the case of Indian Medical Association v VP Shantha in 1995 brought the medical profession under the ambit of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986. The Consumer Protection Act, 1986, was later repealed and replaced by the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. This article delves into the implications of the 2019 Act, highlighting significant changes in its scope, including the expansion of the definition of "consumer" and the incorporation of telemarketing and e-commerce within its ambit. Moreover, the amendments affect pecuniary jurisdiction, grounds for litigation, and introduce mediation cells, and the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA). This article underscores concerns related to an increase in frivolous cases against medical practitioners and in defensive practice, ultimately impacting the overall quality of patient care. Recommendations for timely redressal and safeguards against unwarranted litigation are proposed to mitigate the adverse implications of the amended Act and ensure the well-being of both healthcare providers and patients.

Investigators and inspectors appointed under the Australia Health Practitioner Regulation National Law play important roles by gathering and assessing evidence used in disciplinary proceedings and/or criminal prosecutions. In performing these roles, investigators and inspectors exercise "police-like" powers including coercive questioning and entry onto private property with or without a search warrant. The investigation process can add additional stress and anxiety for health practitioners who are subject to disciplinary proceedings. It is difficult for an aggrieved party to challenge the lawfulness of the exercise of an investigation power in a tribunal as tribunals lack jurisdiction to rule on the legality of an investigation power or the admissibility of evidence. This article explores the range of powers possessed by investigators and inspectors under the National Law and a number of issues relating to the exercise of those powers., Competing Interests: None declared.

Wiretapping laws generally govern the legality of surreptitious or unconsented audio recording or other interception of face-to-face conversations, telephone calls, and other oral or wire communications. Many of these laws were originally passed in the late 1960s or 70s, and many have since been modified or amended. Wiretap laws vary from state to state within the United States, and many clinicians as well as patients are often unaware of the scope and implications of these laws. We provide three hypothetical case examples to illustrate scenarios in which wiretapping laws come into play. Through a review of current legislation, we compiled relevant wiretapping statutes for each state, as well as the potential civil remedies and criminal punishments that could be imposed for violations. We include the results of targeted research related to cases in which rights or claims under applicable wiretap statues have been asserted in the context of medical encounters and healthcare practice. We classified thirty-seven out of 50 states (74%) as one-party consent state laws, nine out of 50 states (18%) as all-party consent state laws, and the remaining four states (8%) as "Mixed". Remedies and punishments for violations of state wiretapping laws generally can involve civil or criminal fines and/or potential incarceration. Cases in which healthcare practitioners have asserted rights under wiretap laws remain rare. Our findings demonstrate heterogeneity with regard to the wiretapping laws state-to-state. The majority of punishments for violations involve fines and/or potential incarceration. Given the wide variability in state legislature, we suggest that anesthesiologists know their state's wiretapping law. • Wiretapping laws may govern all audio recordings. • Clinical situations where wiretap laws are applicable can happen unexpectedly. • The majority of states require one party for recording consent. • The majority of potential punishments for violations involve fines and/or incarceration. • We suggest that anesthesiologists be well-versed with their state's wiretap laws. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Competing Interests: C. Legeai et F. Kerbaul déclarent n’avoir aucun lien d’intérêts. C. Antoine déclare avoir été prise en charge, à l’occasion de déplacement pour congrès, par Sanofi.

Ziel der Pilotstudie war es, bei Beschäftigten in psychiatrischen Kliniken mittels leitfadengestützter Interviews zu ermitteln, welche Anteile der Arbeitszeit theoretisch für Fort- und Weiterbildung, organisatorische und Dokumentationspflichten sowie gesetzlich verpflichtende Belehrungen zu veranschlagen sind. Es wurden 47 Ärzte, 39 Pflegekräfte, 34 Psychologen und 35 Sozialarbeiter aus acht Versorgungskliniken interviewt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass der theoretisch verbleibende Zeitanteil für direkten Patientenkontakt gering ist. Besonders ungünstig stellt sich die Situation bei Oberärzten, pflegerischen Stationsleitungen und Teilzeitkräften dar. Alle ermittelten patientenfernen Tätigkeiten waren jedoch ebenfalls unverzichtbare Qualitätsmerkmale. Beschäftigte in deutschen psychiatrischen Kliniken müssen deshalb regelmäßig Präferenzentscheidungen treffen, welche Aufgaben sie vernachlässigen, zu denen sie eigentlich verpflichtet sind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estimating survival in advanced cancer: a comparison of estimates made by oncologists and patients. Since then, Tasmania, South Australia, Queensland and more recently New South Wales have passed similar Acts, with VAD to commence in all states in the next 18 months. Keywords: Life expectancy; Survival analysis; Mortality; Suicide, assisted; Legislation, medical EN Life expectancy Survival analysis Mortality Suicide, assisted Legislation, medical 178 179 2 08/17/22 20220815 NES 220815 Understanding what it means to identify people with less than 6 months to live Victoria operationalised Australia's first voluntary assisted dying (VAD) Act in June 2019, shortly followed by Western Australia. [Extracted from the article]

Keywords: Accreditation; Administration and organization; Legislation, medical; Medical colleges EN Accreditation Administration and organization Legislation, medical Medical colleges 570 571 2 06/21/22 20220615 NES 220615 A decade after reporting obstacles in the registration process, are international medical graduates still "lost in the labyrinth"? The MBA website provides clear and comprehensive information on the requirements and processes involved in the Standard, Competent Authority and Specialist Pathways.6 It has also developed a clear and comprehensive set of standards for the specialist colleges for the assessment of specialist IMGs. Obstacles to registration and accreditation for international medical graduates (IMGs) are not new. [Extracted from the article]

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