[Patients, physicians and nurses: three different points of view on the same issue. Attitudes to and perceptions of...

To analyze patients', physicians' and nurses' attitudes to and perceptions of patient rights in the public hospitals of the Reus health district in Catalonia (Spain).

We performed a qualitative analysis, through focus groups composed of health professionals (physicians and nurses) and discharged patients, followed by three surveys aimed at physicians, nurses, and patients. A descriptive analysis was performed of the results and of the differences among the three collectives. A principal components analysis for categorical data was used to reduce the number of dimensions and to reveal the associations among the different variables.

Among discharged patients and nurses, the most important patient rights were "the right to information" and "patient autonomy", whereas among physicians, the most important dimensions were the "right to autonomy" and "the patient's right to form an opinion". A minority of patients was reluctant to participate in decision-making. The groups with the most favorable attitudes to exercising patient autonomy were women, younger patients, and those with the highest educational level. Patients were less in favor of patient autonomy than physicians while nurses had the most radical attitudes in favor of patient autonomy.

Patient's rights are not sufficiently well known, and the right to information is valued more highly than the right to exercise autonomy. Discharged patients, physicians and nurses have different attitudes to and perceptions of the same issue.