Midwives and nurses awareness of patients' rights.

AIM: to determine the level of awareness of patients' rights among midwives and nurses working in the third and fourth largest cities in Turkey. METHODS: cross-sectional descriptive survey conducted among participants working in university hospitals, state hospitals and village clinics. Questionnaires were distributed to 150 midwives and 350 nurses working in university hospitals (n = 200), state hospitals (n = 100) and village clinics (n = 100); 60% (n = 298) of the forms were returned. FINDINGS: fifty-one per cent (n = 152) of midwives and nurses stated that they had not read any legislation related to patients' rights. Seventy-five per cent (n = 222) of respondents were aware of the legal arrangements. Only 34% (n = 74) of participants who knew of any legal basis for patients' rights said that legislation was in the form of a directive. No significant differences were observed in midwives' answers compared with nurses' answers. CONCLUSION: violation of patients' rights and health professionals' ignorance of appropriate practice means that there is an urgent need to reconsider how to approach this issue. It should be included in continuing education programmes at both graduate and postgraduate midwifery and nursing schools, and also demands more research.

The approach taken by the physicians working at educational hospitals in Izmir towards patient rights.

OBJECTIVE: Considered as a reflection of human rights in our modern day, patient rights have been gaining increasing importance. This particular subject has been discussed from various perspectives in different countries and legal sanctions imposed. "Patient Rights Directives" in Turkey came into effect in 1988. The present study was carried out in order to determine how well the physicians working in Izmir, the third largest city of Turkey, are aware and informed of these directives. METHODS: Our study is an observational-cross sectional descriptive one. The research was conducted among the physicians working in nine training hospitals in Izmir province using a random sampling method. 1,500 questionnaires with 19 multiple-choice questions were distributed in the study. 567 of the forms were returned. Statistical assessment of the data obtained was carried out using the x(2) test on SPSS 10.0 Windows Program. RESULTS: Of the physicians participating in the study, 43% were female and 57% male. The average age was 32 +/- 7.76 years. 40% of the participating physicians were not aware of the legal arrangements (directive). 63% of the participants stated that they had not read any kind of legislation related to patients' rights. Only 34% of the participants knew that the legal sanctions were put into effect in the form of "directive." CONCLUSION: Legal arrangements related to patient rights in the world are being put into effect within the framework of human rights. Turkey is one of the first countries to have completed the legal procedures in this field. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: We believe it is necessary that this particular issue be included both in the training programs of the medical faculties and supported by all parts of the society including physicians if these legal procedures are to work effectively.

Dental malpractice cases in Turkey during 1991-2000.

OBJECTIVES: Doctors can face punitive and legal consequences if patients are not satisfied with the medical treatment. The purpose of this study is to provide a database for dental malpractice cases in Turkey. METHODS: This study is based on the decisions of High Health Council (HHC) in medical malpractice cases. Between 1991 and 2000, 1548 decisions were made by the HHC. 14 (0.9%) of these decisions were related to dentistry. This study examines the 8 decisions under which the dentists are found to be at fault. RESULTS: As three of these cases are based on the same facts they are examined together. Of the dentists consulted on 11 decisions, nine were male and two were female. In four cases the HHC gave its expert opinion before the trial, in five cases during criminal trial and in two cases during compensation trial. In five cases patients received surgical treatment, in four cases prosthetic treatment and in two cases endodontic treatment. Nine of these treatments were carried out at private dental practice. In eight reported decisions negligence and inadequate treatment were identified. Most of negligence was caused during surgical intervention. In two cases, treatments resulted in death. CONCLUSIONS: Like all other medical staff dentists are under the obligation to comply with the legal rules in the country they practice. They also have to consider ethical principles as well as the acceptable standards and protocols of diagnosis and treatment.