Awareness of, responsiveness to and practice of patients’ rights at Uganda’s national referral hospital

Autor: Harriet R. Kagoya, Dan Kibuule, Honoré Mitonga-Kabwebwe, Elizabeth Ekirapa-Kiracho, John C. Ssempebwa
Jazyk: English<br />French
Rok vydání: 2013
Předmět:
Zdroj: African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine, Vol 5, Iss 1, Pp e1-e7 (2013)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2071-2928
2071-2936
DOI: 10.4102/phcfm.v5i1.491
Popis: Background: The realisation of patients’ rights in resource-constrained and patient-burdened public health care settings in Uganda remains an obstacle towards quality health care delivery, health care seeking behaviour and health outcomes. Although the Uganda Patients’ Charter of 2009 empowers patients to demand quality care, inequitable access and abuse remain common. Aim: The study aimed to assess level of awareness of, responsiveness to and practice of patients’ rights amongst patients and health workers (HWs) at Uganda’s national referral hospital, Mulago Hospital in Kampala. Methods: A three-phase cross-sectional questionnaire-based descriptive survey was conducted amongst 211 patients, 98 HWs and 16 key informants using qualitative and quantitative data collection methods. The study was conducted in May–June 2012, 2.5 years after the launch of the Uganda Patients’ Charter. Results: At least 36.5% of patients faced a challenge regarding their rights whilst seeking health care. Most of the patients (79%) who met a challenge never attempted to demand their rights. Most patients (81.5%) and HWs (69.4%) had never heard of the Uganda Patients’ Charter. Awareness of patients’ rights was significantly higher amongst HWs (70%) than patients (40%) (p < 0.01). Patients’ awareness was associated with education level (x2 = 42.4,p < 0.001), employment status (x2 = 33.6, p < 0.001) and hospital visits (x2 = 3.9, p = 0.048). For HWs it was associated with education level (x2 = 155.6, p < 0.001) and length of service (x2 = 154.5, p
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