[Bioethical and legal aspects of patient education]

In the last 35 years, patient education has started to gradually develop at hospitals as well as in primary health care. Now, it is an integral part of communication in health care. Due to the expanding application of technology in the field of medicine, it is difficult to achieve appropriate and extensive patient education. Patient dissatisfaction with the given information on the illness, treatment and prognosis has contributed to professionalization of patient education. Nevertheless, patient education has not yet been acknowledged as a discipline. Patient education by health care professionals while providing health care services and through the process of informed consent requires professional and bioethical education of health care professionals and also patient commitment to actively cooperate with their doctors.