Kontakt 2011, 13(2):204-210 | DOI: 10.32725/kont.2011.025

Failures in respecting intimacy of patients in medical institutionsHealth and Social Sciences - Original article

Lucie Sikorová^*, Andrea Filová

Ostravská univerzita, Fakulta zdravotnických studií, Ústav ošetřovatelství a porodní asistence

The contribution presents results of a survey focused on monitoring principles of saving intimacy of patients in selected hospitals in Ostrava. The survey was implemented at departments of surgery, internal medicine, gynaecology and central admission. The target of the examination was to find how the patients and healthcare professionals perceive adhering to the intimate nature during the communication patient-healthcare professional and how the patients and healthcare professionals consider adhering to the patient intimacy in the course of the care provided in the environment of healthcare institutions. The survey was performed in the first quarter of 2010. A method of the questionnaire examination was employed for this purpose. Two versions of questionnaires were compiled: one version for patients and second version for healthcare professions. The results of the examination were specified through the mediation of the descriptive statistics. One hundred and twenty-one patients and 82 healthcare professionals participated in the research examination. The opinions concerning the intimacy in selected healthcare institutions were considerably different between the group of healthcare professionals and that of patients, where the healthcare professionals evaluated their own behaviour more positively. Patients evaluated negatively degree of adhering to principles of intimacy in the communication between the healthcare professional and patient in the examination room as well as in the patient room compared to the healthcare professionals (according to opinions of 42% of patients and 4% of healthcare professionals, the care givers typically adopt no precautions for saving the intimacy in the interview). Non-adhering to the privacy in providing hygienic care at the patient room was expressed by 41% of patients but by 25% of care givers only. Total of 32% of patients criticized the use of screens during a care or medical intervention, but 80% of healthcare professionals have always used the screens in these situations. Necessary uncovering of the body, adhering to as short time for this purpose as possible during rounds and providing conditions fit for human beings during patient transfers beyond the department where the patient is hospitalized, was positively evaluated by healthcare professionals as well as patients.

Keywords: intimacy; patient; healthcare professional; communication

Received: May 24, 2010; Accepted: May 5, 2011; Published: June 20, 2011  Show citation