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Biomedical subjects

B Blasszauer

Publications and source records attributed to B Blasszauer.

14 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1994

Hungary as an aging society.

The authors describe the situation of the aged in Hungary, with a particular focus on the medical and ethical problems that health professionals have to face. The so-called post-communist transitional period is characterised by both economic and moral crisis. The country has a serious foreign debt problem as well as high rate of unemployment and crime, a considerable price inflation, and the pauperisation of the people, particularly among the old. The old are defined as those who have reached retirement age, which is 55 for women and 60 for men. Hungary lacks the kind of incentives that would provide good reasons to live much beyond the age of 60. There is neither a suitable culture for old age nor economic security, and this seriously undermines the independence and autonomy of the old. Neither family nor institutional care for the elderly is adequate. Although over 20 per cent of the population are retired, they are not organized as a political power that would effectively represent them. The health care system is in crises and the elderly suffer the most because of it. Therapeutic nihilism and both over-treatment and under-treatment of the aged is common. Among the old, the suicide rate is high. Because of a lack of funds, an inadequate number of experts, indifference to rehabilitation, and the infrequent use of technological interventions, home and institutional care are inadequate. There are no public debates on setting priorities or allocating limited resources. There are, however, high hopes for the success of a market economy, privatization, and well-functioning democracy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Medical ethics committees in Hungary.

Hungarian medical ethics committees were established at the end of the 1950s. They came into being on the Communist Party's initiative. They could hardly be called "interdisciplinary" since their membership was made up of high-ranking physicians and a few head nurses. Their main task was to counter the practice of "tipping." Medical ethics and "tipping" were practically synonymous. These committees did not confront or try to resolve ethical problems concerning such issues as patient rights, informed consent, refusal of treatment, human experimentation, abortion, etc. These committees - whether it is believable or not - belonged to the Physicians Health Workers Trade Union. They were under the guidance and supervision of this social organization. The public was excluded from their meetings, and the committees' duty was to follow the health laws which were supposed to have given excellent ethical guidance. Even in a textbook on medical ethics used at one of the medical universities, written by a psychiatrist, the health laws were presented and explained back and forth. Of the 88 pages only 23 dealt with morals in general and the Hippocratic tradition. The Hungarian National Health Service as well as its medical ethics committees are similar in many respects to the Soviet and Eastern European countries' health care system and ethics committees. Since radical changes have taken place in these so-called "former" communist countries, it can only be hoped that these committees will eventually develop into groups who will deal directly with the moral questions or medicine and health care.

Communism↗
PubMed1986

In Hungary, the old medical ethics meets the new.

Medical ethics in Hungary has finally moved beyond arguments over tipping and bribes to discussions of euthanasia, confidentiality, truth-telling, and informed consent. Ethics committees have been formed at the local and national level, and medical schools are beginning to take seriously the systematic teaching of medical ethics. In some quarters, however, old attitudes persist. Among older doctors paternalism reigns supreme, and law-makers continue to ignore international ethical guidelines.

Bioethical Issues↗