[Patients' Rights Act - Relevance for surgical disciplines]

The new Patients' Rights Act does not reflect rights of patients as professional obligations of physicians for the first time. It adopted common longtime jurisdiction, but in some respects it is going beyond. This law clearly extends the documentation requirements of physicians, especially concerning the extent of documentation. In surgical fields the requirements for enlightening physicians were more strongly worded than in previous jurisdiction. In medical facilities it is now mandatory to establish an internal quality management system.