In een redactioneel artikel geeft de redactie een toelichting op het tijdschriftnummer in kwestie.

CEPINA, the Belgian Centre for Arbitration and Mediation recently published special mediation rules for the resolution of IT disputes. The most important rules are discussed. Also the background of this initiative is highlighted.

If a patient is not satisfied with any aspects of health care, he or she can file a complaint. In the Netherlands, as in other countries, there are several ways for handling patients’ complaints. One of the possibilities is to lodge a complaint with the medical disciplinary board. In 1997, the Individual Health Care Professions Act came into force. The main goals of this Act are to promote the quality of professional practice and to protect patients against unprofessional health care professionals.In 2008 research was undertaken into the experiences of patients (or others acting on behalf of them) with the disciplinary procedure. A sample of both complainants and practitioners against whom a complaint was lodged were interviewed about their expectations and experiences. The main conclusion is that for several reasons both parties are dissatisfied with the current procedure. This paper provides an overview of the outcome of the interviews. In addition, some concrete proposals are made regarding the improvement of the current disciplinary procedure.

In their contribution ‘Employment and ICMS’, Rob Jagtenberg and Annie de Roo discuss the yields that an integrated conflict management system may bring to individual workers, to the company or organisation, and to society as a whole. Few organisations have adopted ICMS as yet. Therefore, the authors analyse the resistance against introduction of ICMS in some detail, especially resistance on the part of management, which likely will be decisive.Recent developments in the world economy and in politics however, may change the leverage in favour of introducing ICMS still, in the years to come.

The purpose of the Flemish IPOS-project is to uncover the stages which people, including children, go through following a divorce. Based on their findings the researchers will come forward with proposals to improve the quality of life during divorce i.e. through mediation. The IPOS-project started on 1 November 2007. The final report will be published in October 2011. The composition of the research team is multidisciplinary; the participating researchers are lawyers, psychologists and economists.

In Dutch case law mediation has become a common phenomenon. Therefore, recent cases focussed on fundamental aspects of mediation are discussed.