Patients are defenseless until they know about their rights and do not use them. About the human rights we have heard at school, but only a few people have heard about the rights of a patient. Our rights are our guarantee of honesty, justice, and security. Being a patient without rights is dangerous, so arm yourself with information!
In 1981 the World Medical Assembly adopted the Lisbon Declaration on the Rights of a Patient.
- Right to high-quality medical care
A patient has the right to health care without any restrictions. Medical services must be of high quality. A patient also has the right to choose a doctor who will take professional and ethical decisions.
Important to know!
In some cases, a doctor should choose only one patient due to limited resources. In this situation, a specialist must exclusionary follow medical criteria. A doctor also has no right to stop the treatment necessary for a patient, without assisting in the search for an alternative way of medical help. So if a doctor refuses to continue therapy, because of lack of funds a patient can operate with this provision of the Declaration.
- Right to freedom of choice
Each patient has the right to choose freely and changes clinic or a doctor. A patient also has the right to second opinion. It means that a patient can ask the advice of another physician at any stage of the treatment.
- Right to self-determination
About the health, a patient makes free decisions himself/herself. A doctor should warn him/her about the consequences of the decision.
A patient has the right to full, accurate and reliable information. Undergoing the diagnostics and treatment, a patient has to understand the purpose of the procedures. A patient can take part in medical researches and experiments.
- Rights of a patient in the unconscious condition
The legally entitled representative handles a patient in the unconscious state. If the legal representative is not available, a positive patient’s response can automatically be implied. But if a patient was against healthcare in his/her previous expressions, the medical intervention is impossible.
Important to know!
A doctor must always try to save the life of an unconscious patient due to suicide attempt even against his/her will.
- Legally incompetent patient
A patient's legal representative decides treatment option for a minor or an incapable patient.
Important to know!
If an incompetent patient can make rational decisions, they need to be taken into account. Moreover, he/she has the right to forbid the disclosure of information to his/her legal entitled representative.
- Treatment against a patient’s will
To treat a patient against his/her will is possible only to protect the rights and freedoms of others (for example, if a patient’s behavior is dangerous for other people).
- Right to information
A patient has the right to receive complete and reliable information about his/her health status, the data contained in his/her medical records. Information should be provided in a language that a patient understands according to the characteristics of his/her culture.
Important to know!
This information can be hidden from a patient if it threatens his/her life or health status.
- Right to confidentiality
Even after the death of a person, information about a patient’s health status, diagnosis, treatment and other personal information is confidential. Relatives can get access to this information only in the situation of risks associated with hereditary diseases.
Important to know!
In cases of exceptional need, one medical institution can pass the information along to another one even without a patient's consent.
- Right to health education
Everyone has the right to receive information about a healthy lifestyle and ways of preventing disease.
- Right to human dignity
A patient’s rights to dignity and privacy must be respected at all stages of healthcare. Every patient has the right to relief his/her suffering by the state of medical knowledge.
- Right to religious assistance
If a patient needs spiritual and moral support, he/she has the right to receive it from a minister of his/her religion.