Comparing the Perspectives of Patients and Staff in Obstetrics and Gynecology Operating Rooms on Patient Privacy

  • Farshid Mohammadmousaei Master of Nursing, Department of Community Health Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Abadan University of Medical Sciences, Abadan, Iran.
  • Zeinab Raiesifar Master of Nursing, Department of Nursing-Surgery, Faculty of Nursing, Abadan University of Medical Sciences, Abadan, Iran.
  • Seyed Ali Mousavi Master of Epidemiology, Department of Health, Shushtar Faculty of Medical Sciences, Shushtar, Iran.
  • Nastaran Khorsandi Bahar Master's Student in Midwifery, Student Research Committee, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
  • Fatemeh Esmaelzadeh Assistant Professor, Department of Operating Room and Geriatric Nursing, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Keywords: Clinical Ethics, Medical Ethics, Bioethics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Privacy.

Abstract

Maintaining patient privacy is a fundamental right of patients and an ethical duty of healthcare professionals. The present descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in 2022 to compare the perspectives of patients and staff in obstetrics and gynecology operating rooms in Mashhad, Iran, on the extent to which patient privacy was preserved. Patients were selected using random sampling in the operating rooms of hospitals affiliated with Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. Data were collected through a demographic information form and a standardized questionnaire to assess hospitalized patients’ privacy. Data were analyzed via SPSS-22, utilizing descriptive and inferential statistics, with a significance level of P<0.05. The mean ages of patients and staff participating in this study were 39.07±12.56 and 31.65±8.42 years, respectively. The mean score of preserving privacy from the patients' perspective was 38.92±22.41, whereas from the staff's perspective, it was 64.26±8.02, and the difference was statistically significant (p=0.0001). The lowest scores in both groups for personal privacy were 4.97±8.77 for patients and 13.37±2.66 for staff. Results indicated that the staff perceived the level of preserving patient privacy to be above average, while patients considered it below average. Therefore, given the patients’ specific conditions, high stress levels, and physical and mental limitations to support themselves, it is essential to implement targeted training and take necessary measures to encourage the staff to pay more attention to patient privacy and raise patient awareness in this regard.

Published
2025-09-09
Section
Articles