Evaluation of Patients’ Rights Observance According to Patients’ Rights Charter in Educational Hospitals Affiliated to Mashhad University of Medical Sciences: Medical Staffs’ Views

INTRODUCTION To supply quality services and healthcare, it is evident that medical ethics and patients' rights, while providing medical and healthcare services need to be observed. This study was conducted to evaluate observance of the Patients' Rights Charter among medical staff of educational hospitals affiliated to Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. METHODS This cross-sectional study was conducted in four educational hospitals in Mashhad on eighty physicians, nurses, nurse aids and medical students. Data were collected using a two-part inventory of patients' rights, including demographic data and inventory of patients' rights observance. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS-16 as well as descriptive statistics, independent t-test, chi-square, Spearman correlation coefficient and Pearson correlation. RESULTS Mean age of subjects was 36.3±8.3. Observance of human rights was perfect by 84.4 percent of subjects. The highest amount of observance of patients' rights was related to the area of respecting patients' privacy and observing the principle of confidentiality, which was evaluated to be perfect by all subjects (100%). The lowest value of patients' rights observance was related to presenting appropriate and adequate information for patients, which was perfect among 48.1% of subjects. There was no significant relation between personal details (age, gender, education and career) and observance of patients' rights (p>0.05). CONCLUSION Although in this study, the observance of patients' rights by medical staff is optimal in most areas, the area of providing appropriate and adequate information needs to be promoted. Therefore, it is suggested that more stringent regulatory policies be compiled and implemented to the items of Patients' Rights Charter along with training courses, to strengthen medical staff's awareness in this regard.