Showing 8 results for Privacy
Mohammad Zirak, Mansour Ghafourifard, Ali Aghajanloo, Hamidreza Haririan,
Volume 8, Issue 1 (5-2015)
Abstract
Respecting patients’ privacy leads to increased satisfaction among hospitalized patients and can accelerate the healing process and reduce hospitalization time. This study aimed to determine the level of respect for patient privacy in the teaching hospitals of Zanjan city during 2012. In this cross-sectional study 256 hospitalized patients were selected by multistage sampling and completed the study questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of two parts: the first part collected the participants’ demographic data and the second part examined the various aspects of patients’ physical privacy. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 21. The results showed that most of the samples (76.2%) were unaware of patients’ rights, and about half (49.2%) believed that their physical privacy was respected most of the time. Meanwhile, 56.3% of the patients declared that medical team members never closed the curtains during physical examinations and medical procedures. The mean score of observation of privacy was less for single patients (51.23 ± 14) compared to married patients (58.88 ± 13) (P <0.05). Based on our findings, most patients were not aware of their rights and some measures of physical privacy were not observed. Therefore, authorities must pay more attention to systematic planning in order to ensure that patients’ privacy is respected in all areas of health and education.
Mohammad Mohammadi, Mohammad Shamsoddin Dayani Tilaki, Professor Bagher Larijani,
Volume 9, Issue 6 (3-2017)
Abstract
Privacy and confidentiality are the inalienable rights of every human being to preserve his dignity. This issue should be considered in all levels of medical interventions. In the healthcare system, based on respect for privacy and confidentiality, patients decides what information to provide to their physicians. However, if a patient does not provide necessary information to his physician this may impact the diagnosis and treatment. This study aims to evaluate patients’ attitude regarding privacy and confidentiality in healthcare delivery. The result helps policy makers to establish appropriate relations between healthcare providers and patients by realizing its strengths and weaknesses.
This cross-sectional study was carried out on 200 patients, selected in a systematically random way, in Imam Khomeini and Shariati hospitals in Tehran the capital of Iran in 2010. The data were collected directly from patients by trained interviewers based on a questionnaire survey. In order to analyze the data based on the scores of the attitude, patients’ attitudes were classified into three groups of negative, slightly positive, and positive and were evaluated by using various statistical tests.
In result, 56.5% (113) of participants were females and 43.5% (87) were male. In this study, it was found 71 (35.5%) patients were “strongly agree” that male physician can examine female patients and 99 (49.5%) patients were “agree”. Fifty three patients were “strongly agree” that physician may consult with his assistant through training (without the patient's permission) and 103 patients were “agree”. Participants’ attitude about disclosing the patient’s information if a he has threaten self-harm or harm to another person was as follow, 45 (22.5%) patients were “strongly agree”, 82 (41.0%) patients were “agree” and 56 (28.0%) patients had “no comment”. In this study, in general 36 (18.0%) patients had “negative”, 162 (81.0%) patients “slightly positive”, and 2 (1.0%) patients had “positive attitude” towards privacy and confidentiality in healthcare settings.
In conclusion, the study population possessed a moderate attitude towards privacy and confidentiality. These results show that in addition to performing further studies, patients’ attitude towards privacy and confidentiality should be adequately improved.
Masomeh Khajeahmadi, Faezeh Jahanpour,
Volume 10, Issue 0 (3-2017)
Abstract
Maintaining the privacy is one of the most fundamental rights of the patients, based on the need for respect to human dignity. Considering that today's students are tomorrow's nurses who are directly involved with patients during and after their education, it is necessary to review their performance regarding the privacy of patients. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the privacy practices of patients among trainees and interns of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery of Bushehr University of Medical Sciences. This was a descriptive analytical and cross-sectional study. A total of 283 nursing and midwifery students of Bushehr University of Medical Sciences who had the necessary features to enter this study were selected by consensus method. The data collection tool was privacy questionnaire made by Heidari (2000), which validity and its reliability was confirmed. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software version 23 as well as statistical tests (T-test and ANOVA). The results of this study showed that the average score of patient's privacy was 09.24 ± 11.97. Also, students' performance in the area of personal, human, and in general the patient privacy was approximately good, and there was a significant difference between the average performance of trainees and interns in the domain of human (p-value = 0.002) and, in general, the privacy the patient (p-value = 0.018). There was a significant difference between the demographic factors of the educational level, ethnicity and occupation of students with practice of patient's personal privacy. Since the students' performance regarding the privacy of the patients was good, the administrators and clinicians should plan and take the necessary measures to maintain the present situation.
Sasan Moogahi, Masoumeh Tajik, Maria Cheraghi, Farkhondeh Jamshidi,
Volume 13, Issue 0 (3-2020)
Abstract
Privacy is a basic principle of humanity and one of the most important fundamental rights of every human, that adherence to it is required particularly in health care organizations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate privacy level of elderly patients in educational and medical centers of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences. This cross-sectional study was performed on 230 elderly patients hospitalized in internal and surgical wards of educational and medical centers of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of medical sciences. Data were collected by a researcher-made questionnaire. The questionnaire was prepared in two dimensions of psychological with 11 questions and physical with 18 questions. Validity of the questionnaire was evaluated by experts and professors. Results showed that 62.2% (143 people) of the patients were female and the rest were male. In terms of adherence to privacy, 47.13% of women and 51.75% of men evaluated it as high and 13.79% of women and 20.28% of men evaluated it as poor. The level of privacy in terms of gender of the patient, nurse, and the physician in charge were statistically different (P-value<0.05). However, there was no significant difference between adherence to privacy and age and occupation of patient before retirement, marital status of nurse, and physician in charge (P-value> 0.05). Training of nurses, physicians, personnel, and health care providers to enhance privacy of elderly patients and reinforce supervisory performance of managers and authorities is necessary.
Jafar Nory Yoshanloey, Shobeir Azadbakht,
Volume 15, Issue 1 (3-2022)
Abstract
One of the key principles in medical ethics, which has significant social effects, is the confidentiality of medical information. Given the significance of this principle, the legal systems of different countries have considered and recognized the principle of confidentiality. The existence of the principle of confidentiality can be viewed for two groups of people: those who are alive and those who have died. Two different bases underlie the recognition of confidentiality for each group. In Iranian and French law, this principle is applied to protect the privacy of living persons. While, for deceased people, it is applied for the public interests of the community and to ensure the no-harm rule. The purpose of this article is to examine how the principle of confidentiality is contemplated for these two groups of persons in French and Iranian law. There is an explicit provision in French law regarding the living and the deceased persons. In Iranian law, however, the principle of confidentiality is only recognized for living persons; However, despite the silence of the Iranian legislator, the principle of confidentiality can be extended to the deceased people. Nevertheless, this article attempts to briefly examine the concept and basis of the principle of confidentiality and then describe the position of the two legal systems of France and Iran.
Kobra Rashidi, Pooneh Salary,
Volume 16, Issue 1 (3-2023)
Abstract
One of the most important patient rights is to respect the patients’ autonomy and their participation in the process of treatment decision-making. This is of particular importance for the patients in the emergency department, who require due care in differential diagnosis leading to illness and death. However, the problem arises when this right is negligently ignored and despite the fact that it seems a simple matter, it is difficult to manage and control. Accordingly, this study aimed to investigate this issue through the case report of a patient diagnosed with acute abdomen. Moreover, an attempt was made to briefly review how negligence occurs, its causes and consequences, as well as its management strategies. In this report, the results highlighted the importance of patient participation, obtaining informed consent from the patient in the entire treatment process (diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and prevention), and maintaining privacy and confidentiality regarding all medical and non-medical information of patients that are provided to the treatment staff in verbal, written, partial, and even electronic forms, especially in sensitive and stigmatizing cases. It seems that there are certain strategies to manage such negligence including timely detection, investigation of the causes and consequences, compensation for the damage, enhancing the cultural competence of the treatment staff, developing relevant local guidelines and instructions, having an efficient system with the support of the organization for handling it, and strengthening communication skills and teamwork.
Hamid Moghaddasi,
Volume 17, Issue 0 (12-2024)
Abstract
The ethical use of patient medical records by healthcare providers is fundamentally guided by the patient's right to privacy and confidentiality, enshrined in patient rights charters. Users of patient medical records are categorized as authorized (e.g., clinicians directly involved in patient care) and unauthorized (e.g., administrative staff, external entities). This categorization informs both internal and external information disclosure policies. Authorized users access patient records based on the "need to know" principle, ensuring confidentiality while adhering to internal disclosure protocols. Unauthorized users have limited access, primarily governed by external disclosure policies that restrict access to personally identifiable information.
The transition from paper-based to electronic health records (EHRs) significantly alters the ethical landscape for healthcare providers. While paper records primarily raised concerns about physical security, EHRs present unique ethical challenges in three key areas:
1. Respect for Patient Information: Proper use of patient data requires a deep understanding of the ethical implications of accessing and utilizing sensitive information.
2. Privacy and Confidentiality: Maintaining patient privacy and confidentiality in the digital age requires robust security measures and a commitment to data protection best practices.
3. Data Integrity and Accessibility: Ensuring the accuracy, completeness, and accessibility of EHR data while maintaining patient privacy presents a complex challenge.
Healthcare providers, particularly physicians and nurses with extensive EHR access, must prioritize patient privacy and data confidentiality when utilizing information technology in patient care. This includes proactively mitigating threats to data security and adhering to strict ethical guidelines for data access and use.
Farshid Mohammadmousaei, Zeinab Raiesifar, Seyed Ali Mousavi, Nastaran Khorsandi Bahar, Fatemeh Esmaelzadeh,
Volume 18, Issue 1 (3-2025)
Abstract
Maintaining patient privacy is a fundamental right of patients and an ethical duty of healthcare professionals. The present descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in 2022 to compare the perspectives of patients and staff in obstetrics and gynecology operating rooms in Mashhad, Iran, on the extent to which patient privacy was preserved. Patients were selected using random sampling in the operating rooms of hospitals affiliated with Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. Data were collected through a demographic information form and a standardized questionnaire to assess hospitalized patients’ privacy. Data were analyzed via SPSS-22, utilizing descriptive and inferential statistics, with a significance level of P<0.05. The mean ages of patients and staff participating in this study were 39.07±12.56 and 31.65±8.42 years, respectively. The mean score of preserving privacy from the patients' perspective was 38.92±22.41, whereas from the staff's perspective, it was 64.26±8.02, and the difference was statistically significant (p=0.0001). The lowest scores in both groups for personal privacy were 4.97±8.77 for patients and 13.37±2.66 for staff. Results indicated that the staff perceived the level of preserving patient privacy to be above average, while patients considered it below average. Therefore, given the patients’ specific conditions, high stress levels, and physical and mental limitations to support themselves, it is essential to implement targeted training and take necessary measures to encourage the staff to pay more attention to patient privacy and raise patient awareness in this regard.
