Patients' rights in hospital: an empirical investigation in Finland

The purpose of this study was to examine patients' rights in Finnish hospitals from the patients' own points of view. In 1993, a new Act on the status and right of patients in health care came into force. In this Act patients' rights are divided into three categories: the right to good health care, the right to be informed, and the right to self-determination and participation. These same categories of rights were used in this empirical investigation during 1993, in which a questionnaire was answered by 204 patients in two Finnish hospitals. The results indicate that Finnish hospital patients do not know enough about their rights. Information seems to be one of the most problematic areas for hospital patients. The study will be repeated in five years' time.