Surveying the prerequisites for establishing patient's rights charter in health centers of Iran- A Delphi study

Patient''s rights are one of pivotal elements of clinical governance and important indicators of quality care in health area. Patient''s rights in Iran are stated in patient''s rights charter and its establishing need to lying plots a set of prerequisites. The aim of this study was to survey prerequisites and to develop a bill for establishing patient rights in Iranian health centers using expert''s ideas and comments. The study was conducted using the Delphi’s approach، and 30 purposefully selected participants include experts in law، medical groups and ethics، as panelists were enrolled in 4 rand Delphi technique. In first rand، the ideas of panelists in response to question «what prerequisites are needed to establishing patients rights in hospitals» were collected and then a bill including 7 domain was developed and then entered in Delphi process. The comments of panelist were collected by E- Mail and face interview through April 2012 to September 2013. Final document was developed in the end of 4th rand. A consensuses bill for establishing patient rights was main result of this study that developed in 82 items in 7 domains including: academic education، research، supervision، process management، building، organization and manpower. At al، out of 178 items that judged by panelist، finally 51 items (34. 8%) consist many suggestion were agreed and entered in final document. Results of this study recognize the areas which need to takeover and correction in order to improve patients’ rights observance. In addition، the results showed that goal of bill of patients’ rights can be achieved with minimal cost and changes such as correcting organizational processes and empowering staff.