Patient's Charter: Charter Of Rights And Duties

Patient’s Charter: Charter of Rights and Duties

January 18, 2025

Patients in Malta are guaranteed a basic set of protections under the law, as outlined in The Patient’s Charter: Charter of Rights and Duties. The right to receive healthcare, the right to receive information, the right to remain anonymous, the right to give or withhold consent to treatment, the right to receive quality care, the right to file a complaint and seek redress, the duty to provide truthful information, and the duty to respect healthcare providers and other patients all fall under these guiding principles (Zahra et al., 2014). Each of the eight principles in the Charter focuses on a specific facet of medical treatment for patients.

Patients have the right to accurate and up-to-date information on their diagnosis, available treatments, and the associated advantages and hazards of each choice before making any care decisions. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, and the desire for security, are relevant to this guiding concept. Healthcare practitioners may aid patients’ sense of safety and confidence in their health-related choices by providing accurate and thorough information (Karačić et al., 2021).
The right to choose is the second tenet of patient autonomy, which guarantees individuals the freedom to choose their healthcare provider, take an active role in making treatment choices, and decline care if they so prefer. According to Maslow’s theory of motivation, autonomy is one of a person’s most essential wants. Providers may empower patients to take charge of their health and well-being by honoring their input and preferences (Rosano et al., 2017).
The third tenet is that patients have the right to privacy and confidentiality, meaning their medical records and other private information must always be protected. Being an essential part of Maslow’s hierarchy of wants, privacy is directly related to this guiding concept. Healthcare practitioners may make patients feel more at ease about sharing personal information if they treat it as private and confidential.
Patients have the right to obtain treatments that are safe, effective, and of high quality, as stated in the fourth principle, the right to excellent healthcare (Mottron et al., 2006). Fundamental to human existence and well-being are the physiological necessities that this concept addresses. Healthcare providers may aid in satisfying patients’ physiological needs by giving them access to high-quality medical treatment.

Patients of any age, gender, race, or socioeconomic level have the right to get quality medical treatment promptly, as stated in the fifth principle, “the right to obtain healthcare services.” The desire for one’s own and other people’s approval is central to this guiding concept. Healthcare professionals may aid in making patients feel appreciated and respected by making healthcare services available to them.
The right to complain is the sixth guiding principle, and it asserts that patients have the right to voice concerns and have their problems handled promptly and appropriately (Bayoumi, 2011). The need for acceptance and acceptance from others is central to this guiding concept, as is the market to be heard and understood by those around you. Medical professionals may make their patients feel more appreciated and cared for by actively listening to their concerns and promptly resolving them.
The seventh tenet is based on the idea that patients owe it to their doctors to treat them with dignity and respect and to follow their directions when it comes to their treatment (Shih et al., 2018). The need for friendship and pleasant social contacts is central to this idea. Patients may aid in the development of strong, mutually beneficial relationships with their healthcare professionals by treating them with dignity and respect.
By the eighth principle, “the obligation to take care of oneself,” patients must participate in their treatment and adhere to their doctors’ orders (Mantzoukas, 2007). Self-actualization, or developing one’s full potential and accomplishing one’s ambitions, is central to this guiding concept. Patients may do more for themselves and their health in general if they take an active part in their treatment.

Last, the Patient’s Charter: Charter of Rights and Duties details the entitlements and obligations of Maltese citizens seeking medical treatment. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is represented by these eight guiding principles: safety, security, autonomy, privacy, physiological needs, esteem, belonging and social support, pleasant connections, and self-actualization (Bayoumi, 2013). Healthcare professionals may enhance their patient’s health and satisfaction with their treatment by responding to these needs by the Charter’s guiding principles. To guarantee that the rights and obligations mentioned in the Charter are honored in reality, it is crucial to highlight that implementing these principles may vary depending on the unique healthcare context and the requirements of individual patients.

References

Bayoumi, M. (2011) “Identification of the needs of haemodialysis patients using the concept of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs,” Journal of Renal Care, 38(1), pp. 43–49. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1755-6686.2011.00237.x.
Bayoumi, M. (2013) “Hemodialysis patients needs priorities according to maslows’ hierarchy and quality of life,” Journal of Palliative Care & Medicine, 02(02). Available at: https://doi.org/10.4172/2165-7386.1000106.
Mantzoukas, S. (2007) “A review of evidence‐based practice, nursing research and reflection: Levelling the hierarchy,” Journal of Clinical Nursing, 17(2), pp. 214–223. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2702.2006.01912.x.
Mottron, L. et al. (2006) “Enhanced perceptual functioning in autism: An update, and eight principles of autistic perception,” Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 36(1), pp. 27–43. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-005-0040-7.
Rosano, A. et al. (2017) “Migrant’s access to preventive health services in five EU countries,” BMC Health Services Research, 17(1). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-017-2549-9.
Shih, C.Y. et al. (2018) “The Association of Sociodemographic factors and needs of haemodialysis patients according to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs,” Journal of Clinical Nursing, 28(1-2), pp. 270–278. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.14532.