[Vascular surgical patients and patient rights legislation].
BACKGROUND
From 1 January 2001, a new Patients Rights' Act came into force in Norway that regulates many aspects of clinical work, including patients' right to be adequately informed, the right to a second opinion, the right to choose hospital, the right to refuse a blood transfusion, and the terminally ill patient's right to refuse further treatment. This study aims at assessing the impact of the new legislation on given cases in vascular surgery and to clarify in what ways work procedures in a vascular surgical department should be changed in view of the new rules.


METHODS
Ten cases drawn from our department between autumn 2000 and January 2001 were analysed in relation to the new legislation, each case representing a specific medico-legal issue regulated by the new act.


RESULTS
By and large, established practice in our department is in line with the new legislation. However, better documentation is required, as well as more emphasis on integrity in relation to competing hospitals.


CONCLUSIONS
Surgeons should be well informed on regulations directly affecting the practice of surgery.
Hanoa
Rolf
R
Avdeling for hjerte-, lunge- og karkirurgi Universitetssykehuset i Nord-Norge 9038 Tromsø.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D008297:Male; D009664:Norway; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D028701:Patient Rights / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D016312:Treatment Refusal / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods