"An educated patient is a safe patient" - emphasizes Bartłomiej Chmielowiec. The Ombudsman for Patients' Rights has been conducting educational activities for many years to spread knowledge about the rights and obligations of patients. "Using EU funds, we also conduct training of medical personnel, the aim of which is to improve the quality of management in the health care system and to raise the level of skills and qualifications of employees in the field of patient rights," adds the Defender.
Tydzień Pacjencki
Patient education is the key to safety
Published May 12, 2022 13:09
Fot. Getty Images/iStockphoto
One of the effects of the pandemic is that we have started to talk more about patient rights. The Patient Telephone Information Center, which operates at the Patients' Rights Ombudsman, shows that people have started to be more interested in this area. “The educated patient will know his rights and will be able to claim them. Unfortunately, the ombudsman is not able to react to all violations of patient rights, so people who know their rights will be their best advocates, ”says Bartłomiej Chmielowiec.
For many years, the Patient's Rights Ombudsman has been preparing information campaigns and cooperating with non-governmental organizations that educate patients about their rights. The Ombudsman's profiles on social media regularly provide answers to frequently asked questions by patients, and we also run a Telephone Patient Information Line - a free hotline where anyone can call and obtain information on patient rights.
Ongoing monitoring and analysis of reports submitted to the Patient's Rights Ombudsman allows to identify areas in the health care system that require special attention. Direct conversations with patients, also via the Patient Telephone Information Center, indicate that patients - wishing to obtain the necessary health services - often feel lost and confused.
For years, the MPC has also been calling for the introduction of the subject "Knowledge about health" to schools. The current system of education provides elements of health education, defining thematic blocks of some subjects, but it is insufficient. By requiring specific health behaviors from citizens, a tool for the transmission of structured knowledge should be created, which will result in a better quality of life and treatment of new generations of patients in the future.
We try to be present in the media, but we also come out with initiatives to the medical staff. Using funds from the European Union, we prepare trainings aimed at improving the quality of management in the health care system and increasing the level of skills and qualifications of health care system employees from the country in the field of patient rights. The employees of the MPC Office present these rights on the basis of numerous examples of violations and jurisprudence, which is extremely important - it is in medical facilities that the patient has direct contact with health care. He should feel safe and trust the medical staff - only then will this therapeutic process be able to run properly.
Source: RPP
