Resumo

WELIE, Sander P. K.. Advocacy for psychiatric patients in the Netherlands. The model of the Dutch National Foundation of Patient Advocates in Mental Health Care. Med. ética [online]. 2020, vol.31, n.4, pp.879-923.  Epub 21-Ago-2023. ISSN 2594-2166.  https://doi.org/10.36105/mye.2020v31n4.04.

In the Netherlands, involuntary as well as voluntary psychiatric patients have a right to individual support of a patient advocate. Since 1982, the support of patient advocates has been organized and facilitated by the Dutch National Foundation of Patient Advocates in Mental Health Care. The way in which patient advocates have to perform their statutory tasks has been elaborated in rules of conduct formulated by the above-mentioned Foundation. Some cornerstones in the Dutch model are independence from the psychiatric hospital, easy accessibility, confidentiality, receptivity to a patient’s questions and complaints, an orientation to the individual patient’s legal position, partiality, promotion of the patient’s health care-related interests as the patient perceives them, and the requirement of patient assent for actions of the patient advocate. The combination of these cornerstones results in a very specific role for the patient advocate. Presupposed by the Dutch model is both a good fit of this role with the roles of other actors in the health care system, and just health laws. The value of such patient advocacy depends on the degree to which these two presuppositions are fulfilled. Critical questions can be raised in relation to the fit at issue and to the quality of positive law.

Palavras-chave : mental health; patient advocacy; medical legislation; medical ethics.