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ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLES |
Awareness About Patients Rights Amongst Patient Admitting To A Primary Level Health Care Facility
Dr. S. Erhan DEVECİ,a Dr. Aylin ÖGETÜRK,b Dr. A. Tevfik OZAN,a Dr. Mehmet TOKDEMİR,c Dr. Yasemin AÇIKa
aHalk Sağlığı AD, cAdli Tıp AD, Fırat Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, bAbdullahpaşa Eğitim Araştırma Sağlık Ocağı, ELAZIĞ
Objective: Studies concentrating on patient rights are very popular. This study was carried out with the aim of assessing awareness levels of patients about their rights and to see to what extent they can make use of them.
Materials and Methods: This study is descriptive in nature. A questionnaire was applied to 517 individuals who were above the age of 18 and who admitted to Elazığ Abdullahpaşa Research and Training Health Post from March 1st to April 30th 2004. When patient rights were being evaluated this was done on the basis of “Patient Rights Regulations” published in the Official Gazette in 1998.
Results: Of the study group, 55.3% were women and 44.7% were men, the mean age of the group was 37.02 ± 12.87 years. 25.1% of the participants reported hearing about patient rights. Of these 5.4% thought that they can as well enjoy patient rights in Turkey. Of the ones reporting to have heard about patient rights, 31.5% could not remember any of the rights concerned. They could only list four of such rights (6 individuals). The best known patient right was (52.8%) identified as the right to “know, select and change the personnel”. 10.8% of those who were knowledgeable about patient rights have filed complaints to relevant authorities thinking that their rights were violated. The knowledge level about patient rights was higher among men having higher education level, regular occupation and having social security (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Three fourths of the study group has not ever heard the term patient rights. Those who have heard the term had low knowledge level about what it meant. It must be attached importance to the studies about informing and rendering conscious of people about the issue.Keywords: Patient rights, awareness, admissionTurkiye Klinikleri J Med Ethics 2005, 13:174-178
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