Résumé
Background: Patient rights have recently become the centre of national attention in the healthcare practice and Nigerians are becoming more aware of their rights. Despite this awareness, there is gap between their knowledge and ability to exercise their rights. The study was designed to assess University College Hospital patients’ knowledge and exercise of their rights.
Method: This descriptive, cross-sectional study utilized a 45-item and self-administered questionnaire to gather information from three hundred and sixty (360) patients. The sample size was statistically determined and the respondents were randomly selected from Out-Patient Department. Ethical issues were duly considered. Data collection spanned four weeks. Data were analysed through the use of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version17.
Results: Most of the respondents (94.2%) have good knowledge of rights and few (37.2%) of them denied being actively involved in making decisions on issues concerning their care. However, about half (50.8%) claimed they were not fully informed about the diagnosis and treatment plans regarding their health conditions. About 75.0% of the respondents reported that they would seek redress if their rights are infringed upon.
Conclusion: Patients have good knowledge of their rights, yet they are not fully exercising these rights. Patients should be encouraged to participate in the decision making process on their health issues because it is a channel towards achieving positive patient outcomes. Adequate information about care including the risks of procedures, cost implications of care and possible outcomes of care among others should be provided. Provision of more information by health care providers may enhance patients’ decision making and exercise of rights.
Keywords: Patients’ rights, knowledge of rights, exercise of rights, decision-making.
Résumé
Contexte: Droits du patient sont récemment devenus le centre d’attention nationale dans la pratique de soins et de Nigérians sont de plus en plus conscients de leurs droits. Malgré cette prise de conscience, il y a écart entre leurs connaissances et leur aptitude à exercer leurs droits. L’étude a été conçue pour évaluer l’University College Hospital patients’ connaissance et l’exercice de leurs droits.
Méthode: Cedescriptif, étude transversale utilisé un 45-point et auto-administré questionnaire pour recueillir des informations auprès des trois cent soixante (360) patients. La taille de l’échantillon a été statistiquement déterminé et les répondants ont été choisis au hasard à partir de patients ambulatoires Ministère. Questions éthiques ont été dûment prises en considération. Collecte de données s’étend sur quatre semaines. Les données ont été analysées à travers l’utilisation du logiciel statistique pour les Sciences sociales (SPSS) version17.
Résultats: La plupartdes répondants ( 94,2 %) ont une bonne connaissance des droits et quelques ( 37,2 %) d’entre eux ont nié avoir été participe activement à la prise de décisions sur les questions concernant leur garde. Cependant, environ la moitié ( 50,8 %) ont affirmé qu’elles n’ont pas été pleinement informé des diagnostics et des plans de traitement concernant leurs conditions de santé. Environ 75,0 % des personnes interrogées ont indiqué qu’elles cherchent à obtenir réparation si leurs droits sont violés.
Conclusion: Les patientsont une bonne connaissance de leurs droits, pourtant, ils ne sont pas pleinement l’exercice de ces droits.Les patients doivent être encouragés à participer au processus de prise de décision sur les questions relatives à la santé, car c’est un canal à la réalisation positive les résultats pour le patient.informations suffisantes au sujet des soins y compris les risques de procédures, les répercussions sur les coûts des soins et les résultats éventuels de soins parmi d’autres devraient être fournis. Fourniture de plus d’informations par les fournisseurs de soins de santé peut améliorer les patients’ la prise de décisions et l’exercice des droits de la personne.
Correspondence: Dr. Modupe O. Oyetunde, Department of Nursing, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. E-mail: modupeoyetunde@gmail.com
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