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

BACKGROUND The Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education published a 'Patient's Bill of Rights' in 2001. AIM To gain insight into the perception and practice of patients' rights in Iran. This paper reports on Iranian nurses' and physicians' perceptions and lived experiences of respecting patients' rights. METHODS A purposeful sample of eight nurses and five physicians working in a central teaching hospital in Tehran were interviewed during 2005-2006 for a qualitative study. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. FINDINGS The emerging themes were categorized as 'barriers to patients' rights practice' and 'facilitators of patients' rights practice'. Under these themes three subgroups were discussed: awareness, resources and accountability. CONCLUSION Healthcare professionals' lived experiences are an important source of data if managers and policy makers are to make changes and legislate for protecting and promoting patients' rights.