Giedrikaite Ryte, Miseviciene Irena, Jakusovaite Irayda
Department of Philosophy and Social Sciences, Kaunas University of Medicine, Kaunas, Lithuania.
Medicina (Kaunas). 2007;43(8):664-70.
The aim of the study was to evaluate and compare patients' and physicians' opinions about the assurance of patients' right to information about the disease, the results of medical examination, treatment methods and their outcomes.
The study was performed during November 2006-February 2007 in two counties of Lithuania. Seven hospitals were randomly selected for the study. The participants of the study were all patients who on the day of the inquiry were treated in the departments of internal diseases and surgery and all physicians who worked in these departments on that day. Patients with severe conditions and those who were newly admitted were excluded from the study. In total, 494 questionnaires were distributed, of which 366 were distributed among patients (response rate--71.3%) and 128 among physicians (response rate--70.3%).
One-half of the inquired patients (50.9%) did not know what rights they are guaranteed by the Republic of Lithuania Law on the Rights of Patients and Compensation of the Damage to Their Health. However, the majority of patients thought that they were provided information about their disease (86.1%), the results of medical examination (76.2%), the methods of treatment (74.2%), and possible positive and negative consequences (65.2%). The comparison of patients' and physicians' evaluation of the provided information revealed certain differences. Physicians were inclined to evaluate themselves better. More than one-half (65.5%) of physicians stated that they provided patients with information concerning the possibility for their participation in treatment-related decision-making, but patients did not participate sufficiently actively (34.5% of positive responses) in making heath-related decisions.
Patients are not very well informed about the Republic of Lithuania Law on the Rights of Patients and Compensation of the Damage to Their Health. The majority of patients in the studied general hospitals stated that they were provided with and understood information about their disease, the results of medical examination, and treatment methods and prognosis. The study showed that only one-third of patients expressed their opinion to the physician when making treatment-related decisions, and their opinion was taken into consideration.
本研究的目的是评估和比较患者与医生对于保障患者获取疾病信息、医学检查结果、治疗方法及其效果的权利的看法。
本研究于2006年11月至2007年2月在立陶宛的两个县进行。随机选择了七家医院进行研究。研究参与者为调查当天在内科和外科接受治疗的所有患者以及当天在这些科室工作的所有医生。病情严重的患者和新入院患者被排除在研究之外。总共发放了494份问卷，其中366份发放给患者（回复率——71.3%），128份发放给医生（回复率——70.3%）。
一半的被调查患者（50.9%）不知道立陶宛共和国《患者权利与健康损害赔偿法》保障他们哪些权利。然而大多数患者认为他们获得了有关自身疾病的信息（86.1%）、医学检查结果（76.2%）、治疗方法（74.2%）以及可能的正负后果（65.2%）。患者与医生对所提供信息的评估比较显示出某些差异。医生倾向于对自己评价更高。超过一半（65.5%）的医生表示他们向患者提供了有关其参与治疗相关决策可能性的信息，但患者在做出与健康相关决策时参与不够积极（积极回复率为34.5%）。
患者对立陶宛共和国《患者权利与健康损害赔偿法》了解不足。在研究的综合医院中，大多数患者表示他们获得并理解了有关自身疾病、医学检查结果、治疗方法和预后的信息。研究表明，只有三分之一的患者在做出治疗相关决策时向医生表达了自己的意见，且他们的意见得到了考虑。
