Patient rights and self-assessment of their application by physicians employed in public healthcare facilities

Bartłomiej Chmielowiec; Jarosław Piotr Chmielewski; Olga Krawczyk; Tomasz Wójcik; Bartosz Rębak; Mariusz Jaworski; Piotr Szenk

doi:10.12923/2083-4829/2025-0012

Authors

Bartłomiej Chmielowiec Office of the Patient Rights Ombudsman, Patient Rights Ombudsman, Poland Author https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2606-1656
Jarosław Piotr Chmielewski 1. Department of Public Health, Academy of Applied and Holistic Sciences, Poland; 2. Faculty of Health Sciences, Collegium Medicum, Jan Kochanowski University, Poland Author https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7625-0602
Olga Krawczyk Psychotherapy Clinic, Fortis Mentis Clinic, Poland Author https://orcid.org/0009-0008-3578-7241
Tomasz Wójcik Faculty of Health Sciences, Collegium Medicum, Jan Kochanowski University, Poland Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7647-6000
Bartosz Rębak Faculty of Health Sciences, Collegium Medicum, Jan Kochanowski University, Poland Author https://orcid.org/0009-0004-4835-2694
Mariusz Jaworski Department of Education and Research in Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5207-8323
Piotr Szenk Faculty of Medicine, Lazarski University, Poland Author https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3112-958X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12923/2083-4829/2025-0012

Keywords:

knowledge, doctors, patient rights, public health care facilities

Abstract

Aim. Patient rights are a set of rights granted to healthcare recipients. They include objective standards which inform patients about what they can expect from public authorities and institutions directly providing healthcare services. The main objective of the study was to assess the knowledge of physicians employed in public healthcare facilities about patient rights.

Material and methods. The study was conducted in the period between October 2022 and March 2023. The diagnostic survey method was employed, using a self-developed questionnaire. One hundred respondents employed in hospitals and primary health-care facilities took part in the study. Microsoft Excel (Microsoft Office) was used to compile the data. The statistical analysis was conducted with the use of the Statistica 13.1 PL statistical software.

Results. 61% of physicians reported their knowledge of patient rights to be satisfactory, while 39% found it unsatisfactory. 33% of respondents were familiarized with patient rights in the course of their higher education, while 67% learned about them only in the workplace. Meanwhile, 51% of respondents were familiar with the Patient Rights and the Patient Rights Ombudsman Act. 79% indicated that they complied with patient rights in their professional practice, while 33% of respondents confirmed that they had witnessed violations of patient rights in their workplace.

Conclusions. Based on research, it can be concluded that there is a need to develop and implement a training program for medical personnel on patients’ rights. Doctors’ lack of knowledge about patients’ rights influences the exercise or violation of these rights.

References

1. Patient Rights Ombudsman. Report for 2022 [Internet]. Warsaw: Office of the Patient Rights Ombudsman; 2023 [cited 2024 May 10]. Available from: https://www.gov.pl/web/RPO/raporty-za-rok-2022 Polish.

2. Chmielowiec B, Chmielewski JP, Haor B, Bielski K, Chruścikowska A, Jaworski M, et al. Attitudes of nursing personnel employed in inpatient healthcare units (hospitals) towards patient’s rights. J Neurol Neurosurg Nurs. 2025;14(2):76-85. https://doi.org/10.15225/PNN.2025.14.2.4

3. Chmielowiec B, Puścion M, Adamski J, Goworski A. Awareness of patient rights among medical professionals. J Mod Sci. 2025;61(1):538-59. https://doi.org/10.13166/jms/202620 Polish.

4. Chmielowiec B, Raczek M, Chmielewski J, Puścion M, Florek-Łuszczki M. Accessibility to healthcare services in Poland at the initial stage of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic – patient perspective. Med Og Nauk Zdr. 2022;28(3):208-16. https://doi.org/10.26444/monz/154663 Polish.

5. Szpringer M, Chmielewski J, Kosecka J, Sobczyk B, Komendacka O. Patients’ satisfaction as one of the aspects of the quality of healthcare. Med Og Nauk Zdr. 2015;21(2):132-7. https://doi.org/10.5604/20834543.1152908 Polish.

6. Mularczyk-Tomczewska P, Gujski M, Koperdowska JM, Wójcik J, Silczuk A. Factors influencing patient satisfaction with healthcare services in Poland. Med Sci Monit. 2025;31:e948225. https://doi.org/10.12659/MSM.948225

7. Sopko J, Kočišová K. Key indicators and determinants in the context of the financial aspects of health systems in selected countries. Adiktologie. 2019;19(4):189-202. https://doi.org/10.35198/01-2019-004-0003

8. Geberu DM, Biks GA, Gebremedhin T, Mekonnen TH. Factors of patient satisfaction in adult outpatient departments of private wing and regular services in public hospitals of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a comparative cross-sectional study. BMC Health Serv Res. 2019;19(1):869. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-019-4685-x

9. Gavurova B, Kovac V, Khouri S. Purpose of patient satisfaction for efficient management of healthcare provision. Pol J Manag Stud. 2020;22:134-46. https://doi.org/10.17512/pjms.2020.22.1.09

10. Ustawa z dnia 6 listopada 2008 r. o prawach pacjenta i Rzeczniku Praw Pacjenta [Act of November 6, 2008 on Patient Rights and the Patient Rights Ombudsman]. Dz.U. 2009 nr 52 poz. 417. Available from: https://isap.sejm.gov.pl/isap.nsf/DocDetails.xsp?id=wdu20090520417 Polish.

11. Chmielowiec B, Chmielewski JP, Witkowski G, Bielski K, Chruscikowska A, Jaworski M, et al. Patient rights in self-assessment of nurses and paramedics of hospital emergency departments. Disaster Emerg Med J. 2024;9(4):197-207. https://doi.org/10.5603/demj.101918

12. Chmielowiec B, Chmielewski JP, Bielski K, Strzelecka A, Orczykowski T. Knowledge and application of patient’s rights by Emergency Response Team paramedics in the beginning of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Emerg Med Serv. 2024;11(3):156-65. https://doi.org/10.36740/EmeMS202403103

13. Shrestha B, Dunn L. The Declaration of Helsinki on medical research involving human subjects: a review of seventh revision. J Nepal Health Res Counc. 2019;17(4):548-52. https://doi.org/10.33314/jnhrc.v17i4.1042

14. Gotlib J, Dykowska G, Sienkiewicz Z, Skanderowicz E. Assessment of knowledge and attitudes towards patients' rights among healthcare professionals at Professor Witold Orłowski Independent Public Clinical Hospital in Warsaw. Ann Acad Med Siles. 2014;68(2):92-8. Polish.

15. Masoura P, Skitsou A, Galanis P, Biskanaki E, Charalambous G. Patients' rights and satisfaction of patients and recipients of healthcare services: a systematic review. Nurs Care Res. 2023;(67):187.

16. Kocańda K. Patient’s rights as a correlate of the physician’s responsibilities and legal consequences of their violation. Folia Cardiol. 2018;13(4):391-4. https://doi.org/10.5603/FC.2018.0083 Polish.

17. Beltran-Aroca CM, Girela-Lopez E, Collazo-Chao E, Montero-Pérez-Barquero M, Muñoz-Villanueva MC. Confidentiality breaches in clinical practice: what happens in hospitals? BMC Med Ethics. 2016;17:52. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12910-016-0136-y

18. Czajkowska M, Janik A, Zborowska K, Plinta R, Brzek A, Skrzypulec-Plinta V. Knowledge and opinions of patients and medical personnel about patients’ rights. Ginekol Pol. 2021;92(7):491-7. https://doi.org/10.5603/GP.a2021.0014

19. Abedi G, Mahmoodi G, Malekzadeh R, Khodaei Z, Siraneh Belete Y, Hasanpoor E. Impact of patients’ safety rights and medical errors on the patients’ security feeling: a cross-sectional study. Int J Hum Rights Healthc. 2019;12(3):215-24. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJHRH-01-2019-0001

Patient rights and self-assessment of their application by physicians employed in public healthcare facilities

Authors

DOI:

Keywords:

Abstract

References

Downloads

Published

Issue

Section

License

How to Cite

linki

Language