🏥 Patient Rights Charter 🏥

Pillar 1: Right to Receive Desired Health Services

• Nursing services should be distinguished by excellence.
• High-quality services should be available at the appropriate time and place.
• Nurses must be skilled, trained in honesty and empathy, and maintain respectful conduct.
• Patients should be treated with respect for their dignity, human values, preferences, culture, and any other personal characteristics.
• Services should be based on updated benefit principles.
• Services should be based on professional practice grounded in ethical principles.
• Health resources should be allocated based on the severity of illness, the urgency of first aid, and critical necessity.
• Patient evaluation should encompass diagnosis, treatment, monitoring, follow-up of treatment outcomes, and post-operative observation.
• Patients should receive treatment and nursing care that improves their physical and psychological health and ensures a good quality of life throughout their journey.
• Special attention should be given to the rights of vulnerable groups in society, including children, women, people with disabilities, the elderly, patients with rare or chronic diseases, and those suffering physically or psychologically, or with genetic, infectious, or other chronic psychological or physical disorders.
• Treatment should be provided within the necessary timeframe according to specialist recommendations for interventions.
• Disabled and elderly patients should be informed about how to access nursing services, hospitals, public benefit patient associations, and social service centers.
• In direct (emergency) care, necessary health services should be provided to the patient following a physical deterioration, considering the individual’s level and potential communication barriers.
• In the terminal stages of a patient’s life, when the condition is untreatable, services aimed at ensuring their comfort should be provided, prioritizing the patient’s well-being and future over mere convenience.
• Special attention should be paid to the underprivileged, unemployed, and low-income individuals, providing them with dignified service and interaction opportunities in line with their circumstances.

Pillar 2: Patients Must Be Informed of All Required Details and Sufficient Information

• Patients must be informed about their diagnosis, treatment plan, condition, and disease progression.
• Sufficient information should be provided to allow patients to understand medical services, hospital support systems, patient associations, and available resources. All necessary contact numbers for obtaining information should be provided.
• Patients should be informed about the diagnostic and treatment methods, their benefits, potential outcomes, the risks of non-treatment, and any factors influencing their decision-making process.
• Information on how to contact the treating physician and nursing staff after treatment should be provided.
• Treatment costs and payment methods should be explained.
• Necessary training and explanations should be given to the patient for continuing treatment.
• Information should be provided in a timely manner, tailored to the patient’s circumstances, including their emotional state, pain, feelings, cultural background, education, and comprehension level.
• Patients should be provided with the necessary information for necessary interventions. This information should be presented in appropriate formats for the administration, family, and acquaintances, as approved.
• Patients have the right to access all information recorded in their medical and psychological history, obtain copies, correct any existing errors, and request amendments.
• The patient’s right to access this information should be respected, even if they are capable of understanding their condition, out of respect for their freedom. However, disclosure to others may be restricted if deemed inappropriate or harmful.

Pillar 3: Respect for the Patient’s Right to Freedom and Decision-Making Regarding Health Services

• The right to decide on interventions.
• Choice of physician and healthcare facility.
• Choice of medical practice that suits their condition.
• The right to accept, refuse, or discontinue treatment, despite explanations of risks associated with continuing or stopping health services.
• Acceptance or refusal of treatment, even if it poses a threat to the patient’s life or the life of another person, should be respected, provided the risks are clearly understood.
• Patients must be informed of all possible procedures, available services, and their implications. If medical services are not provided, the patient has the right to refuse or discontinue treatment according to established rules.

Other Rights

• Patients should have the opportunity for clear and adequate consultation with their doctor, colleagues, and specialists (as detailed in the second section).
• Following the provision of necessary information, all patients should be given ample time for departure.

Pillar 4: Health Services Must Respect Patient Privacy and the Principle of Confidentiality

• Personal life, patient privacy, and reputation are highly valued and deserve respect.
• Patient privacy must be respected at home, in restrooms, during appointments, and in all interventions or procedures. Necessary facilities should be provided to ensure patient privacy.
• Personal and health information of the patient must be protected, respected, and kept confidential, preventing its disclosure to the press.
• A patient has the right to be accompanied by a trusted person throughout all diagnostic stages, including examination, and during treatment, unless it conflicts with professional requirements.

Pillar 5: An Effective System for Patient Complaints

• Every patient has the right to file a complaint regarding substandard health services or nursing care, or any deficiencies in the quality of health services they receive.
• Patients have the right to be informed about the procedures and outcomes of their complaints.
• An effective system should be in place to promptly address patient complaints, investigate them, and provide necessary justifications.