Patient Rights: Meaning  in Lay’s Perspective under Local Culture Context

Main Article Content

Sumalin Masawang
Kornkaew Chanthapasa

Abstract

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to examine the meaning of villagers on patients’ rights under the context of folk culture. Materials and Method: The study used both quantitative and qualitative. In the quantitative study, a questionnaire was used to collect data from 84 participants.  For the qualitative study, in-depth interview were used to elicit data form 24 key informants. These data were conducted during February 1 - May 2013. The percentage and average was used to analyze quantitative data. The content analysis was used to analyze qualitative data.Results: For quantitative study, most of the respondents were female (78.31 %). They were an elderly with age more than over 50 years (69.88 %) and married (68.67%). All respondent were Buddhists .They graduated on primary education (85.54%), had average income less than 4,000 baht (62.65%). They were farmers as: fishing and farming (68.68%). The result showed that the 80 villagers (95.24%) do not know and do not understand the meaning of the patients' rights.  But they need to have the services as: “Best treatment, good care from specialist doctors who provide information about treatment and prescribed the best medicine.” These requirements were beneath the local cultures context which believes that illness is a matter of fate, physicians as an angel can help them from illness, physicians were a patron. Then these requirements were not demand, not the use of their right, they asked for help.Conclusion: The villagers do not know and do not understand the meaning of the patients' rights.  But they need to have best practice and received good care. For the patient centered care, healthcare providers need to learn and understand the need for the patients’ right in the perspective of villagers under the context of local culture.

Article Details

Section
Research Articles

References

Aumpanpong W. Experiences of hospitalized Thai Muslim patients in receiving the rights according to the declaration of patients' rights from health teams in the five southern border provinces.2002, [cited 2012 Oct 5]. Available from: http://kb.psu.ac.th/psukb/handle/2553/1727

DeepadungA, Summary: Seminar on patients’ rights. Seminar on patients’ rights at The Royal River Hotel Bangkok, June 9, 1993

Nanudon T. How do we think about patients’ rights. Patients’ Rightsto learn and understand it to be, 2000. Foundation for Consumers

Na-ranong O. Expectation, Health Seeking Behavior, and Impacts of Universal Health Coverage: People's Views.2004, [cited 2012 Oct 5]. Available from: http://kb.hsri.or.th/dspace/handle/11228/2088

Supawongse C, Summary: Seminar on patients’ rights. Seminar on patients’ rights in The Royal River Hotel Bangkok, June 9, 1993

Suppasri P. The perception of patients rights and the actually received on patients rights of women during labour in hospitals under jurisdiction on minishtry of Public health and the Thai Red Cross, Chon Buri province. The Journal of Faculty of Nursing Burapha Unversity, 2003, 11(2): 38-56.