Patients’ healthcare, education, engagement, and empowerment rights’ framework: Patients’, caretakers’ and health care workers’ perspectives from Oromia, Ethiopia

Abstract

Background Successful health care and clinical services essentially depend on patients’ realization of ones’ rights, and health workers’ and facilities’ fulfillments and protections of these rights. However, little is documented about how patients and health workers perceive patients’ rights during care-seeking practices. Methods A qualitative study was conducted in four hospitals in Ethiopia through 8 focus group discussions with patients and 14 individual interviews with diverse groups of patients, caretakers, and 14 interviews with health workers. Participants were recruited through a purposive sampling method to meet the saturation of ideas about patients’ rights. The sampled patients, caretakers, and professionals were enlisted from various departments in the hospitals. The data analysis was assisted by ATLAS.ti 7.1.4 Results The study identified three major categories of healthcare rights (clinical, socio-cultural, and organizational), incorporating supporting elements of education, engagement, and empowerment. Study participants reported detailed rights the patients would have during hospital visits which included the right to timely access to care and treatment, adequate medications) with full respect, dignity, and without any discrimination. Patients widely perceived that they had the right to tell their illness history and know their illness in the language they can understand. It was also widely agreed that patients have the right to be educated and guided to make informed choices of services, procedures, and medications. Additionally, patients reported that they had the right to be accompanied by caretakers together with the right to use facilities and resources and get instructions on how to utilize these resources, the right to be protected from exposure to infections and unsafe conditions in hospitals, right to get a diet of their preference, and right to referral for further care. Nevertheless, there was a common concern among patients and caretakers that these rights were mostly non-existent in practice which were due to barriers related to patients (fear of consequence; a sense of dependency, feeling of powerlessness, perceptions of low medical literacy), health workers (negligence, lack of awareness and recognition of patient rights, undermining patients), and facilities’ readiness and support, including lack of guiding framework. Conclusions Perceived patients’ rights in the context of hospital visits were profoundly numerous, ranging from the right to access clinical and non-clinical services that are humanely respectful, fulfilling socio-cultural contexts, and in a manner that is organizationally coordinated. Nonetheless, the rights were not largely realized and fulfilled. Engaging, educating, and empowering patients, caretakers, and health care providers supported with policy framework could help to move towards patient-centered and right-based healthcare whereby patients’ rights are protected and fulfilled in such resource-limited settings.

Dimensions of patient-centred care from the perspective of patients and healthcare workers in hospital settings in sub-Saharan Africa: A qualitative evidence synthesis

“…Patient-Provider communication . Communication was viewed by patients as a human right [ 37 ] and involved the level of engagement, dialogue, relationship and information sharing between health care providers and patients, including information about the course of treatment [ 20 , 22 , 24 , 30 – 35 , 44 ], and whether this information was understood by both parties [ 27 , 36 ].…”

“…The absence of regular communication was considered in some studies as tantamount to neglect and abandonment [ 29 , 37 ]. For example, one study reported high demand from mothers for information on personal hygiene, eating habits and resumption of sexual activity after caesarean sections [ 30 ].…”

Improving Patient Outcomes Through Effective Hospital Administration: A Comprehensive Review

“…Team-based healthcare involves role clarity, digital platforms for collaboration, continuous education, patient-centred rounds, and quality improvement initiatives. Strategies for improving patient outcomes are in Table 1 [23][24][25][26][27][28].…”