Paweł Lipowski

This article presents the characteristics of selected practical aspects related to the need to apply the provisions of the so-called General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in institutions classified as public health. The basic element of the considerations is the presentation of examples of violations of the provisions of the GDPR, and more broadly the provisions relating to the protection of personal data, which, observed in the daily functioning of selected public health institutions, may be an incentive to take preventive measures in all such institutions. At the same time, this paper presents potential remedies that may also take the form of so-called good practices. Being aware of the difficulties in applying the provisions of the GDPR, the authors, by presenting their observations, want to contribute to the discussion on the practical aspects of personal data protection in the area of public health, both in its practical and scientific terms.

In terms of legal requirements for medical personnel, education plays a key role – in each of the analyzed medical professions – it must be a higher education. In the field of post-graduate education (after obtaining the right to practice), it is also possible to complete a specialization course, as a result of which one is able to obtain the title of specialist. As a part of this form of education, medical personnel should constantly improve their professional qualifications in various forms, e.g. qualification courses and specialized training. The provisions of the analyzed acts relating to the so-called independent medical professions indicate, above all, that in order to practice each of the medical professions, it is necessary to hold (maintain) the right to practice the profession and that is subject to the obligation of continuous education, verified by medical boards. The law specifies legal requirements for people who want to practice medicine, in the first place, students of medical faculties. They establish the conditions for obtaining the prerequisite to practice the profession and provide for the need of the continuous postgraduate education after fulfilling the education requirement. This solution introduces a significant scope of legal liability for people who want to practice a given medical profession, which guarantees an appropriate level of protection for patients. Legal regulations for medical professions are in many cases similar, although there are separate legal solutions.

The article refers to marketing tools used in the practice of medical care providers as the common tools in medical services market. It presents the characteristics of management aspects – which may not only constitute opportunities for these facilities but also pose a threat to patients treated as consumers of services – as it also showcases legal provisions that guarantee the protection of the patient’s status on this market. The issue is presented from a practical perspective – based on observations of the medical services market, as well as on the authors’ own conclusions resulting from the analysis of scientific works in the field of management (subject literature) and generally applicable (selected) legal provisions. The argument presented in the present article identifies the desired attitudes in respect to the people providing health services (medical professionals) and entities performing medical activities (medical care providers).

This paper discusses the issue of the development of nursing staff ’s salaries employed in healthcare institutions in the years 2015–20222. The aim of the study was to analyze the changes in legal regulations taking place during this period and to point out the problem of interpreting these regulations, which is inherent to determining nurses’ salary in healthcare institutions. The article indicates problems and differences resulting from the arbitrary interpretation of legal provisions in this area. The issue is presented from the legal and managerial perspective on health care; also based on the authors’ own observations resulting from scientific work and professional experience.

The article presents current legal regulations in Poland that define the conditions for monitoring by medical care providers. The issue is presented both from the legal perspective and from the perspective of health care management, while referring to author’s own observations, resulting from his scientific work and professional experience. On this basis, an attempt was made to formulate the legal and practical implications of the issue of the legal use of monitoring when providing health services to patients.

The purpose of this article is to present selected legal provisions regulating the issue of keeping medical records in medical care providers – its scope and principles, as well as to indicate the legal aspects of the security of data aggregated as part of medical records. Specially that medical records are increasingly being kept in digital form. Assuming that the legal conditions in the national legislation are sufficiently defined, the key is- sue is, on the one hand, to indicate the practical conditions for ensuring the optimal (under given conditions) level of computerization of medical care providers and on the other hand – the related level of data security – from the IT point of view. This article, in addition to the conclusions from the analysis of the applicable legislation, presents practical observations related to the application of legal provisions in medical care providers, which are based on the knowledge and professional experience of the author. The point of reference is the assumption that the overriding element of activities for data security, especially about the health of patients, is the awareness of the “key user”, which is always almost every person in the medical facility staff.

This article presents the characteristics of the legal aspects of euthanasia in Poland and in selected European countries. The key element of the considerations is the presentation of the legal regulation of euthanasia in Poland against the background – often detailed and precise solutions adopted in the European countries (specially EU), which define the legal conditions for carrying out this type of “medical services”. These solutions are presented from the point of view of the legal conditions for ensuring the legality of treatments falling within the concept of “euthanasia”, which in European legislation are most often classified as “assisted suicide” treatments and are associated with the provisions of the so-called “living wills”. The authors intended the article to be part of the discussion on potential changes in Polish legislation.

This article presents the characteristics of health programs implemented from public funds in Poland which are based on generally applicable laws. The key element of the considerations is the presentation of the tasks of the public payer (National Health Fund) in the implementation of health programs. This issue is presented in the perspective of the conditions of the health care system in Poland.