Physicians’ comprehension of the German Patients’ Rights Act: A cross-sectional study |
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| Institution: | 1. Deanery, Medical Faculty of the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Muenster, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany;2. University Medical Center Muenster, Staff Section Palliative Medicine, Muenster, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany;3. Institute of Medical Education and Student Affairs (IfAS), Hospital of Medical Education and Qualification Muenster, Muenster, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany;1. Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, Illinois;2. Division of Thoracic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts;3. Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland;4. Johns Hopkins All Children’s Heart Institute, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital and Florida Hospital for Children, St. Petersburg, Tampa, and Orlando, Florida;5. The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Research Center, Chicago, Illinois;6. Department of Surgery, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia;1. Institute for Health Services Research and Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Medicine, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Strasse 4, 35043 Marburg, Germany;2. Institute for Health Systems Research, Faculty of Health, Witten/Herdecke University, Alfred-Herrhausen-Strasse 50, 58448 Witten, Germany;1. Department of Radiology, Philadelphia VA Medical Center, 3900 Woodland Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19104;2. Division of Musculoskeletal Imaging, Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;1. London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK;2. Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Department of Public Health, Rotterdam, The Netherlands;3. Finnish Cancer Registry, Helsinki, Finland;4. Città della Salute e della Scienza University Hospital, SSD Epidemiology and Screening-CPO, Turin, Italy;5. Department of Health Policy & Health Economics, Faculty of Social Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary;6. Syreon Research Institute, Budapest, Hungary;7. Epidemiology and Cancer Registry, Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Slovenia;8. National Institute for Health Development, Tallinn, Estonia |
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| Abstract: | ObjectiveThe German Patients' Rights Act (PRA), promulgated on February 25, 2013, was created to enhance transparency of patients' rights. This prospective study aimed to objectively measure physicians' comprehension of the PRA.MethodsWe generated a controlled study design, developing a questionnaire consisting of six case scenarios with 4–7 dichotomous items each. The survey concluded with seven 5-point-Likert scale questions, dealing with the PRA’s effects. Physicians teaching at the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität (WWU) Münster served as the intervention group, and medical students from WWU Münster at the beginning of their clinical education formed the control group. Physicians were surveyed in November 2015; students were surveyed in February 2016.ResultsA total 56 completed surveys of physicians and 134 of students were analyzed. Of a total 33 points, on average physicians answered 21.04 (95% confidence interval (CI) 20.43–21.64) items correctly, a significantly higher result than students' 19.74 (95% CI 19.31–20.17) points (p < 0.001; Hedges' g = 0.53). Estimations of the PRA’s effects were ambiguous. Students agreed with the PRA’s supporting effect more often than physicians (p < 0.001) whereas physicians felt increased uncertainty arising from the PRA.ConclusionComprehension of the PRA increases significantly over the course of medical work experience; however, this comprehension is limited among medical experts. The PRA leads to ambiguity and uncertainty in the medical decision-making process. |
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| Keywords: | Patients' Rights Medical decision making Physicians' information and documentation duties Health care Juridification |
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