PhD defence I. (Iris) Bakx

eHealth is the use of modern information- and communication technology (ICT) to support and improve health and health care. This study elaborates on three types of eHealth that relate to direct health care provision to the patient: e-consultation (online consultation between a health professional and a patient), tele-expertise (consultation over distance, between two or more health professionals, relating to the care for a particular patient) and telemonitoring (monitoring patients over distance by means of ICT).  The potential benefits, along with the possible challenges for these types of eHealth to contribute to the realisation of the right to health for everyone are discussed. This will be done by considering whether e-consultation, tele-expertise and telemonitoring can contribute to health care provision that is available, accessible, acceptable and of good quality. Subsequently, the applicability of the Wet op de Geneeskundige behandelingsovereenkomst [Dutch Medical Treatment Act] (WGBO) is discussed. The WGBO contains most of the Dutch patients’ rights. Finally, the study elaborates on the application of the rights to informational and spatial privacy, medical confidentiality and informed consent during e-consultation, tele-expertise and telemonitoring.

Due to corona, the PhD defences do not take place publicly in the usual way in the Senate Hall or in the Professor Andries Querido Room. The candidates will defend their dissertation either in a small group or online.