Satisfying Patients’ Rights: a hospital patient survey

Abstract

The aim of this project was to study the way in which patients' rights are being exercised in everyday hospital practice in Greece. Data were collected by using questionnaires and structured interviews with 600 patients. These patients were found to ignore the fact that special regulations exist regarding their rights. They considered their right to information was being respected, albeit to different degrees. Many patients allowed their doctors to make decisions. The right to confidentiality was not considered as a major priority by these patients because they doubted its applicability. They hesitated to protest when their rights were being violated. They thought that the most effective way of protecting their rights is either through the existence of someone with specialized knowledge or an internal hospital committee. These Greek patients appeared to be relatively satisfied with the way in which their rights were being exercised in hospital. However, a number of improvements could increase patient satisfaction regarding this issue.

Factors affecting patients' rights practice: the lived experiences of Iranian nurses and physicians

“…2003; Williamson & Wilki 1997) and to determine the knowledge and awareness of the public regarding these rights (Büken & Büken 2004; Joolaee & Mehrdad 2003; Joolaee et al. 2006b; Kunjunmon 2006; Merakou et al. 2001; Mosadegh‐Rad & Asna‐Ashari 2004; Najafi‐Pour et al.…”

Does Privacy Matter? Former patients discuss their perceptions of privacy in shared hospital rooms

“…The only study that drew a comparison between patient satisfaction and enacted rights, including the right to privacy, was conducted in six hospitals in Athens. 26 Although these patients were considered reasonably satisfied, a high level of ignorance was evident regarding the relevant legislation in Greece. At present there is no published or available research from New Zealand with regard to patients' satisfaction with the legal provisions for privacy.…”

Patients' attitudes and preceptions regrding research and their rights: a pilot survey study from the Middle East

“…These studies demonstrate a wide range of variability. For example, studies demonstrating that patients have a low awareness of their rights included those from Turkey (23%) (25), Greece (15.7%) (26), Egypt (23.3%) (31), and Saudi Arabia (25%) (29). In contrast, higher rates of awareness were demonstrated among patients in Lithuania (56%) (27), Poland (80%) (30), Malaysia (90%) (28), and Nigeria (94.2%) (33).…”

“…In a study involving patients in Greece, 25.7% would do nothing if their rights were being violated (26) and in another study involving patients attending outpatient clinics in Nigeria, 25% would not seek redress if their rights were violated (33). These results are similar to our data showing that approximately 25% of respondents would not file a complaint as they thought that nothing would be done in response.…”