Patient privacy
is a complex concept that may be affected by many parameters in healthcare
services, especially in Emergency (ER) Departments.
Objective:
To examine the privacy of patients receiving healthcare and medical treatment
in the ED, and to evaluate privacy-related problems, if any, from the ethical
perspective.
Methods: The
data-collecting instrument in this study was a survey form consisting of 11
questions seeking demographic information about participants and 15
privacy-related questions formulated as a 5-point Likert type scale.
Results: The
average age of participants was 42.23±1.716. 220 (96.5%) participants reported
that they did not change the information they provide to physicians and nurses
because such information may be overheard by others. 146 (64.0%) participants agree that paying attention to privacy in the
ER is important. Age is a significant factor in perception of privacy.
Women are more sensitive than men, and married patients are more sensitive than
single patients with regard to privacy.
Conclusions:
Expectations related to the protection of privacy are closely associated with
patients’ trust in physicians. While adhering to the principles of avoiding
delays in treatment, physicians are required to respect patient privacy, with a
view to meeting patient expectations.
Primary Language | English |
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Subjects | Health Care Administration |
Journal Section | Articles |
Authors | |
Publication Date | March 28, 2018 |
Acceptance Date | February 23, 2018 |
Published in Issue | Year 2018 |