The Perception of Privacy in the Emergency Department: Medical Faculty Hospital as A Case in Point

Abstract

Objective: Patient privacy is a complex concept that may be affected by many parameters in healthcare services, especially in Emergency (ER) Departments. To examine the privacy of patients receiving healthcare and medical treatment in the ED, and to evaluate privacy-related problems, if any, from the ethical perspective. Methods: The data-collecting instrument in this study was a survey form consisting of 11 questions seeking demographic information about participants and 15 privacy-related questions formulated as a 5-point Likert type scale. Results: The average age of participants was 42.23±1.716. 220 (96.5%) participants reported that they did not change the information they provide to physicians and nurses because such information may be overheard by others. 146 (64.0%) participants agree that paying attention to privacy in the ER is important. Age is a significant factor in perception of privacy. Women are more sensitive than men, and married patients are more sensitive than single patients with regard to privacy. Conclusion: Expectations related to the protection of privacy are closely associated with patients' trust in physicians. While adhering to the principles of avoiding delays in treatment, physicians are required to respect patient privacy, with a view to meeting patient expectations.

Trust in Intensive Care Patients, Family, and Healthcare Professionals: The Development of a Conceptual Framework Followed by a Case Study

“…Earlier research stated that privacy during hospitalization can be endangered because the setting is often intimate [ 43 ]. Ozturk [ 44 ] explained that privacy protection is closely related to patients’ trust in HCPs [ 44 ]. Additionally, Rojas showed that HCPs usually defend the privacy in terms of the identity of the patients, while they neglect the feelings and thoughts a patient might have [ 45 ].…”

Evaluation of Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviors on the Breast Care of Patients and Health Care Personnels Who Apply to Family Medicine Policlinic

“…It emphasized in some studies that the importance of increasing women's awareness of breast cancer, teaching self-breast examination, promoting women with speciallyprepared reminders and trainings based on model on women's regular mammography (19)(20). Ozturk H et al stated in their work that patient privacy was a complex concept that might be affected by many conditions in healthcare services (21). Women give more importance to privacy from men.…”

Investigating patients' attitudes toward receiving care from an opposite‐gender nurse

“…The scores ranged between 21 and 63, while a higher score indicated more positive attitude. The overall score was divided into three levels of negative (21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35), moderate (36)(37)(38)(39)(40)(41)(42)(43)(44)(45)(46)(47)(48)(49), and positive attitude (50)(51)(52)(53)(54)(55)(56)(57)(58)(59)(60)(61)(62)(63). The scoring of the third to seventeenth questions was done inversely.…”

“…Female patients were more sensitive than males to observance of the physical dimension, avoidance of unnecessary touches, and maintenance of privacy. 46,47 Receiving care from a nurse of the opposite gender increased the possibility of violating patient privacy. 38 Therefore, special measures should be adopted to provide at least patient private care by a nurse of the same gender.…”