New Vision for the Dignity: Understanding the Meaning of Patient Dignity in Iran.

ABSTRACT

Aim: Respect for human dignity right has been accepted as a fundamental human need in the world, but its meaning is complex. The present research aimed to understand the meaning of patient dignity in Iran. Study Design: The study was a qualitative study using content analysis. Place and Duration of Study The study was performed in Kerman, Iran in 2014. Methodology: The study was conducted among patients with Heart diseases. The purposive sampling technique was used to select the participants. Participants were 16 heart patients admitted from two hospitals affiliated with the Kerman University of Medical Sciences. Twenty semi-structured interviews were constructed. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis Results: The analyzed data were made into two main themes and ten sub-themes. The two main themes that emerged were 1- Basic dignity with subthemes (Human security, Comprehensive care, Education and awareness, Respect, Effective communication and Privacy), 2- Transcendent dignity with subthemes (Trust, Gratitude, Satisfaction, Spiritual growth). In the basic dignity, the focus was on physical and psychological needs and in the transcendent dignity; the focus was on spiritual dimension. The results of this study may help health care professionals in understanding patient dignity in Iran.