Knowledge of the patients rights is particularly important in contacts with the health care system. Patients with appropriate knowledge in this area are more likely to be satisfied with the services received. Conflicts may be settled by means of dialogue between partners aware of their rights and obligations.

The studies aimed to evaluate knowledge of the patient’s rights among medical staff and patients and to determine their sources of information. A diagnostic survey was conducted among physicians, nurses, midwives and their patients, and covered 49 wards of 13 inpatient health care units in the Lublin province between the end of August and beginning of September 1998. The study showed that the knowledge of the patient’s rights was incomplete and heterogeneous. In case of patients, it depends on gender, education, place of hospitalisation and the use of outpatient health services. In case of physicians, it depends, correspondingly, on their position, formal level of professional qualifications, age and duration of employment. Medical personnel - physicians, nurses and midwives - play an insignificant role in informing patients about their rights.

All respondents were aware of the patient’s rights related to self-determination, information, intimacy and respect to their dignity. Only nurses and midwives were informed about the right to identify the personnel, pharmaceuticals, sanitary materials and food during hospitalisation, to refuse participation in medical demonstrations for educational purposes and in experiments.