Satisfying patients' rights: A hospital patient survey

The aim of this project was to study the way in which patients' rights are being exercised in everyday hospital practice in Greece. Data were collecte d by using questionnaires and structured interviews with 600 patients. These patients were found to ignore the fact that special regulations exist regarding their rights. They considered their right to information was bei ng respected, albeit to different degrees. Many patients allowed their doct ors to make decisions. The right to confidentiality was not considered as a major priority by these patients because they doubted its applicability. T hey hesitated to protest when their rights were being violated. They though t that the most effective way of protecting their rights is either through the existence of someone with specialized knowledge or an internal hospital committee. These Greek patients appeared to be relatively satisfied with the way in wh ich their rights were being exercised in hospital. However, a number of imp rovements could increase patient satisfaction regarding this issue.