Awareness and practice of patient's rights law in Lithuania.

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Author
Ducinskiene, D; Vladickiene, J; Kalediene, R; Haapala, IDate
2006-09-02Source Title
BMC International Health and Human RightsPublisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLCUniversity of Melbourne Author/s
Haapala-Biggs, IrjaAffiliation
School of Social and Political SciencesMetadata
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Journal ArticleCitations
Ducinskiene, D., Vladickiene, J., Kalediene, R. & Haapala, I. (2006). Awareness and practice of patient's rights law in Lithuania.. BMC Int Health Hum Rights, 6 (1), pp.10-. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-698X-6-10.Access Status
Open AccessOpen Access at PMC
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1569439Abstract
BACKGROUND: Patient's rights law is intended to secure good medical practice, but it can also serve to improve understanding between patients and medical staff if both were aware of their rights. METHODS: Awareness and practice of the new patient's rights law in Lithuanian health care institutions was explored through a survey of 255 medical staff and 451 patients in the four Kaunas city medical units in 2002. Participation rates were 74% and 66%, respectively. RESULTS: Majority of the medical staff (85%) and little over one half of the patients (56%) had heard or read about the Law on Patient's Rights (p < 0.001). Only 50% of professionals compared to 69% of patients thought information for patients about diagnosis, treatment results and alternative treatments is necessary (p < 0.001). A clear discrepancy was indicated between physicians informing the patients (80%-98% of physicians) and patients actually knowing (37%-54%) their treatment prognosis, disease complications or possible alternative treatment methods. CONCLUSION: These results suggest a need for awareness-raising among patients to improve the practical implementation of the Patient's Rights Law in Lithuania.
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