حیات (May 2010)
Protecting Patients\' Privacy by Medical Team and Its Relation to Patients\' Satisfaction
Abstract
Background & Objective: Privacy is a basic humanity principle. Protecting patients;apos privacy is a necessity in health care organizations and along with the patients;apos satisfaction, is one of the main indicators of quality of care. The objective of this study was to assess patients;apos privacy protecting by medical staff and its relation to patients;apos satisfaction.Methods & Materials: This is a cross-sectional survey in which 360 inpatients were recruited using convenience sampling method from an emergency department. Data were collected using a questionnaire and were analyzed using statistical tests in the SPSS.Results: According to the results, about one half of the patients reported poor privacy protecting and one other half (49.4%) reported that their privacy was protected "relatively good" to "good". A strong correlation was found between level of privacy protected and the patients;apos satisfaction in various dimensions. There was significant correlation between some of demographic variables with privacy protecting and patients;apos satisfaction.Conclusion: In our study, protecting patients;apos privacy and also patients;apos satisfaction was not generally appropriate. More attempts of clinicians are required to improve the quality of care to promote patients;apos privacy as well as patients;apos satisfaction.
