Observing patient rights in the area of psychiatric health care in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abstract

Objectives: The work concerns the assessment of compliance with patient rights in the area of psychiatric health care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: The analysis of compliance with patients' rights was made on the basis of complaints submitted to the Office of the Patient Ombudsman. Reports sent to the Department of Mental Health regarding suspected non-compliance with patient rights were retrospectively analyzed. Structure and dynamics indicators were used to assess changes over time.

Results: After analyzing reports since 2020, we have observed a decrease in the number of cases considered by the Department of Mental Health. In 2021, for all rights, there was a decline in the number of applications processed. According to reports on the observance of patients' rights in the area of psychiatric health care, this may be due to the lack of possibility of personal contact with the Psychiatric Hospital Patient Ombudsman. In addition, during the pandemic, a reduction in the number of cases was observed, which was related to limited access to in-person contact. The scope of reported cases also changed during the pandemic. In the years 2018-2021, most cases concerned assistance in asserting rights in matters related to admission, treatment, conditions of stay and discharge from psychiatric hospitals.

Conclusions: Regarding the scope of applications and complaints considered under the provisions of the Act on Patient Rights and the Patient Ombudsman in 2018-2021, most cases concerned the right to health services, followed by the right to information about one's health and the right to consent to the provision of health services. In the case of applications and complaints considered under the provisions of the Mental Health Protection Act in the years 2018-2021, most cases concerned admission and treatment without consent in a psychiatric hospital, the use of direct coercion in accordance with specific regulations and discharge from the hospital of a person treated with consent.