Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42518102›Full record

ArticleJournal of bioethical inquiry2026

Bioethics Across Borders : Mapping Key Cases and Exploring the Ethical Implications of Patient and Healthcare Staff Mobility Between Germany and Poland.

Anna Sierawska, Saskia Metan, Florian Bruns

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Article in Journal of bioethical inquiry, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Anna SierawskaInstitute of History and Ethics in Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Straße 22, 81675, Munich, Germany. anna.sierawska@tum.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0502-4146
Saskia MetanInstitute of History of Medicine, Dresden University of Technology, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany.
Florian BrunsInstitute of History of Medicine, Dresden University of Technology, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Despite the physical proximity between Poland and Germany, there are differences between the two countries in terms of language, customs, healthcare systems, legal frameworks, and socio-economic conditions. These differences and the membership of both countries in the European Union make cross-border healthcare a complex bioethical field. This paper examines the key areas of healthcare provision that are influenced by the political and geographical circumstances between Poland and Germany. This work employs an exploratory approach to map ethical risks and challenges using literature reviews and diverse sources (policy documents, local media reports, etc.). Ethical analysis is rooted in various established frameworks. We outline six areas where patient and healthcare staff mobility may raise ethical issues: (1) access to termination of pregnancy, (2) implications of differing regulations on artificial reproductive technologies, (3) dental care, (4) patient mobility for planned treatments under Directive 2011/24/EU, (5) healthcare challenges in border regions, and (6) migration of healthcare staff. The German and Polish healthcare systems, rooted in principles of solidarity, aim to provide equal access to healthcare services. European Union regulations allow patients to receive treatment abroad, but this can strain state budgets, particularly in less affluent countries. Language barriers might also impact doctor-patient interactions and the process of gaining informed consent. Political and economic differences further complicate ethical dilemmas, affecting healthcare migration and treatment availability. Asymmetric resources might contribute to the growth of private healthcare, affecting integrated public services locally and internationally.

Indexed as

BioethicsCross-border healthcareHealthcare systemsPatient mobility

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.