[Assessment of patients' access to information during their hospitalization]

The right of patient to information is closely connected with the problems of consent to medical procedures. The prerequisite of adequate expression of consent is sufficient amount of knowledge about own health condition, accurate picture of the illness, probable advantages and risk of suggested treatment as well as possible alternative medical techniques with their benefits and risks and consequences of giving them up. Full and reliable information given in understandable form leads to more humane therapy and favours patients' trust for the knowledge and experience of medical staff and partnership of patient-health service worker relationship. Examination of doctors' and patients' opinions concerning the assessment of patients' access to information on different aspects connected with hospitalisation was carried out in 49 wards of 13 health care units in the Lublin region from 24.08. to 06.09.1999. To solve research problems of this paper the method of diagnostic survey was applied with the use of questionnaire technique. The study carried out among 141 doctors and 353 patients has shown that: the range of information given by doctors depends on their position, degree of specialization and general knowledge of patient's rights (p < 0.05) and the range and quality of information obtained by patients from doctors depend on the sex of patients, their age, marital status and educational level (p < 0.05).