What Are Patient Rights and Responsibilities? A Comprehensive Guide

Patient rights and responsibilities form the fundamental set of rules regulating the relationship between individuals receiving healthcare, the institutions providing it, and the medical staff. From the moment you step into the hospital, you have the right to be respected both medically and humanely, to be informed, and to receive the best possible treatment. However, for a healthy and safe treatment process, there are also certain responsibilities that patients must fulfil. This mutual balance improves the quality of healthcare while preventing potential communication issues.

• Every patient's right to receive fair, equal, and non-discriminatory healthcare is legally guaranteed.
• The patient rights regulation ensures the protection of privacy and allows the patient to receive detailed information about their condition.
• Patients have the freedom to accept, refuse, or stop recommended medical treatments.
• Alongside rights, patients also have responsibilities, such as providing accurate information to their doctors and following hospital rules.
• In the event of a potential patient rights violation, the hospital's Patient Rights Unit is the first point of contact for a resolution.

What Are Patient Rights and Responsibilities?

Experiencing health issues means going through a physically and psychologically sensitive period. During this vulnerable time, it is highly important for patients to feel safe and have their bodily integrity respected. Patient rights are simply universal human rights adapted to the field of healthcare. These rights do not aim to protect the patient against healthcare professionals, but rather to encourage the patient and medical staff to work together for a better healing environment.

Responsibilities make up the other half of this relationship. When receiving services from a healthcare institution, you are not only expected to claim your rights but also to act in a way that contributes to the smooth running of that institution. Your doctor's ability to make the most accurate diagnosis and plan the most effective treatment depends heavily on the correct information you provide and your compliance with the treatment. Therefore, patient rights and responsibilities are an inseparable, complementary whole.

The Foundation of Patient Rights and the Regulation

The boundaries and foundations of patient rights are determined by many international agreements, primarily the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. One of the most important steps in the medical world regarding this issue is the Lisbon Declaration on the Rights of the Patient, adopted by the World Medical Association in 1981. This declaration tied many fundamental principles, from the freedom to choose a physician to the right to die with dignity, to a universal standard.

In Türkiye, these rights were placed into an official and detailed framework with the Patient Rights Regulation published by the Ministry of Health on August 1, 1998. This regulation covers all public and private institutions, hospitals, medical centres, and polyclinics providing healthcare services within the borders of Türkiye. The main purpose of the regulation is to ensure that healthcare services are carried out within the principles of justice and equity, to protect the dignity of patients, and to provide a clear legal basis in case of disputes.

What Are Patient Rights?

The fundamental rights outlined in the Patient Rights Regulation, which every patient should know, can be summarised in plain language as follows:

• Fair access to healthcare services: You have the right to benefit from the preventive and curative healthcare services you need in a fair manner, within the institution's capabilities. As part of preventive healthcare, you can take advantage of early diagnosis opportunities, as we highlighted in our article Asymptomatic Diseases and the Importance of Regular Check-Ups.
• Receiving service without discrimination: Regardless of your race, language, religion, sect, gender, political views, or economic status, you will receive treatment on equal terms with everyone else and without prejudice.
• Receiving information: You can request information in clear, understandable language about what your illness is, the risks of the treatments to be applied, alternative treatment methods, and all the services offered by the hospital.
• Choosing or changing the hospital and physician: You have the freedom to choose or change the healthcare institution where you will be treated, and to select your physician by learning the identities and titles of the doctors who will serve you.
• Privacy of private life: Your entire examination, diagnosis, and treatment process must be carried out in an environment that complies with privacy standards, where others cannot see or hear. Your medical records cannot be shared with anyone without your consent.
• Giving or refusing consent: Your explicit consent must be obtained before any medical intervention is applied to you. Additionally, after the risks have been explained to you, you have the right to completely refuse the treatment or request that it be stopped.
• Receiving treatment in a safe environment: You have the right to receive healthcare in a hygienic environment free from medical errors, where you feel physically and psychologically safe.
• Being treated with respect and dignity: You should receive service from all healthcare professionals with a smiling, polite, compassionate approach that respects your human values.
• Fulfilling religious obligations: You have the right to fulfil the requirements of your religious beliefs, to the extent that the hospital's facilities and your treatment allow.
• Having visitors and companions: Within the framework of the rules set by the hospital and your doctor's medical approval, you can request to have a companion stay with you and ask for your loved ones to visit you.
• Right to complain and sue: In cases where you believe your rights have been violated, you have the right to apply to the relevant units, file a complaint, and take legal action.

What Are Patient Responsibilities?

For healthcare services to be carried out successfully, there are also duties that patients must undertake. Considering that the treatment process is a team effort, patient responsibilities are just as critical as patient rights. We can group these responsibilities under the following headings:

• Providing accurate and complete information: You must provide your doctor with full and accurate information about your current complaints, previous illnesses, past hospitalisations, prescription or over-the-counter medications you use, and your allergies. Missing information can lead to incorrect treatment.
• Following hospital rules: You must comply with the rules regarding the operation of the healthcare institution you are visiting. Adhering to visiting hours, not speaking loudly inside the hospital, and paying attention to hygiene rules are among these responsibilities.
• Adhering to the treatment plan: You must follow the advice of the physician and nurses during the treatment process that you decided on and approved together with your doctor. You should take your medications at the specified dose and time, and not skip your check-ups.
• Showing respect: You must respect the privacy and right to rest of other patients. At the same time, you should display a polite and understanding attitude towards the healthcare professionals serving you. Behaviours involving violence or insults must be strictly avoided.
• Being punctual for appointments: You should arrive at your hospital appointments on time. If you are going to be late or cannot attend, you must inform the hospital in advance so as not to take up another patient's rightful time slot.
• Taking responsibility: You must know that you take on the responsibility for the medical consequences that may arise if you refuse treatment or do not follow the doctor's advice.

Especially in the treatment processes of paediatric patients, these responsibilities are assumed by the parents. In situations such as Common Winter Diseases in Children, it is vital for the success of the treatment that parents convey accurate information to the physician and carry out the home care process according to the rules.

What Should You Do in Case of a Patient Rights Violation?

Despite all legal regulations and well-intentioned efforts, patient rights violations can sometimes occur due to communication gaps or systemic issues. When faced with such a situation, instead of acting out of anger or getting into arguments with healthcare professionals, you should opt for official and constructive solutions.

As a first step, you should apply to the Patient Rights Unit of the hospital where you are receiving service. These units are established to listen to the requests, suggestions, and complaints of patients, and to resolve problems quickly and on-site by working in coordination with the hospital management. You can submit your complaint via a written form or verbally. If you do not get a satisfactory result from this process within the hospital, you can create an official complaint record by calling the Ministry of Health Communication Centre (SABİM) hotline at 184. Furthermore, if you believe you have suffered material or moral damage, your right to take legal action is always reserved.

Patient Rights and the Process at BHT CLINIC

At BHT CLINIC İstanbul Tema Hastanesi, in accordance with our international JCI accreditation standards, we place the utmost importance on patient rights and safety. From the moment you step into our hospital until the day you are discharged, we base all your processes on the principles of transparency, privacy, and respect. We know our patients' rights, and together with our healthcare professionals, we uphold them.

Our Patient Rights Unit is ready to support you with any issues you may experience in our hospital or any matters you wish to consult about. With our 24/7 emergency department and all our polyclinics, we secure your health with our patient-oriented approach. To get detailed information about your treatment processes or to schedule an examination, you can visit our appointment page or contact us uninterruptedly via our call centre at 0850 811 34 00.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do you complain when patient rights are violated?

If you believe your rights have been violated, you should first apply to the Patient Rights Unit of the hospital where you received the service. If your problem cannot be resolved within the hospital, you can call the Ministry of Health Communication Centre (SABİM - 184) or make an official application to the provincial or district health directorates.

What does the patient rights unit do?

The patient rights unit is a communication point that listens to the requests, suggestions, and complaints of patients or their relatives regarding the hospital and makes an impartial evaluation. Its goal is to resolve the problems experienced quickly and constructively by discussing them with the hospital management and relevant medical departments.

Is there a right to refuse treatment?

Yes, the right of patients to refuse recommended medical treatment or to stop a treatment that has already begun is legally guaranteed. However, for this right to be exercised, the physician must have explained in detail the vital and medical risks the patient may face if they refuse the treatment.

Is the right to choose a hospital valid in emergencies?

In emergencies, the medical priority is to eliminate the patient's life-threatening condition as soon as possible. Therefore, the first intervention is usually performed at the nearest healthcare facility with the most appropriate equipment. Once the patient's condition becomes medically stable, the right to choose a hospital or physician of their own free will comes into play.

Who does the patient rights regulation cover?

The Patient Rights Regulation covers all public and private hospitals, medical centres, polyclinics, and private practices operating within the borders of the Republic of Türkiye. All individuals, whether local or foreign, who receive healthcare services from these institutions benefit from these rights.

This article is for informational purposes only; please consult your doctor for diagnosis and treatment.