Assessing Patient Rights Awareness and Perceived Healthcare Compliance in Surgical Care: Evidence From Southern Iran.

Abstract

This multicenter, cross-sectional study aimed to assess patient awareness of their rights and the perceived compliance of healthcare teams with these rights in surgical settings across five hospital systems in southern Iran. A total of 582 surgical inpatients participated, with data collected using two validated scales: the Patient Rights Awareness Questionnaire (PRAQ) and the Healthcare Team Compliance Scale (HTCS). The results revealed that the majority of patients had moderate awareness of their rights, with significant variability across domains. Notably, privacy and confidentiality had the lowest awareness scores. Perceived healthcare team compliance was generally high, but gaps were identified in privacy protection and access to medical records. Key factors influencing awareness and compliance included age, education, type of surgery, and hospital setting. These findings underscore the need for targeted interventions to improve patient rights education and healthcare team training, particularly in high-stress emergency settings. Enhancing patient awareness and compliance with patient rights can ultimately improve the quality and transparency of care.