Background: Patient rights are fundamental in defining the standards for ensuring the quality of clinical services. The present study aimed to evaluate the awareness of patients’ rights based on the Charter of Patients' Rights and Responsibilities in the medical staff of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences in Mashhad, Iran.
Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 47 medical staff in teaching hospitals of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran, by the convenience sampling method and by the average mean of a quantitative trait in a community. Data were collected using a two-part questionnaire of demographic information and patients’ rights awareness. Data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 16.0).
Results: The mean age of subjects was 36.3+ 8.3 years. Staff awareness of patient rights was sufficient in 66% of research units. The highest level of respect for patient rights was related to respect for patient privacy and the principle of confidentiality, which evaluate by 78.7% of participants. The lowest level of observing patient rights was related to providing adequate information to patients, which was desirable in 59.6% of the research units. There was no significant relationship between demographic characteristics (age, gender, education level, and jobs) and awareness of patients' rights (P>0.05).
Conclusion: Although the awareness of patients' rights in most of the medical staff was found desirable, the awareness regarding providing necessary and sufficient information to patients needs to be improved. It is, therefore, suggested that a more stringent regulatory policy be implemented based on the Charter of Patients' Rights, and develop training programs to improve staff awareness in this area.