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Effect of Patient Rights Education on Knowledge of Patient Rights among Adults Attending Public Hospitals in Nigeria

Abstract

Patient rights are an important component of quality, ethical, equitable, and patient-centred healthcare. Knowledge of patient rights enables individuals to understand their entitlements within healthcare settings, including the right to respectful and non-discriminatory care, privacy and confidentiality, adequate health information, participation in healthcare decisions, informed consent, access to relevant medical information, and appropriate mechanisms for raising complaints. However, many adults attending public hospitals in Nigeria may have limited knowledge of their rights because of inadequate health information, low health literacy, language barriers, limited patient education, and insufficient communication between healthcare providers and patients. Patient rights education provides an opportunity to improve patients' understanding of their entitlements and responsibilities within healthcare settings. Against this background, this study investigates the effect of patient rights education on knowledge of patient rights among adults attending public hospitals in Nigeria. The study will be anchored on the Health Literacy Framework, Health Belief Model, and Patient-Centred Care Theory. The Health Literacy Framework explains individuals' ability to access, understand, evaluate, and apply information concerning their rights and available healthcare services. The Health Belief Model explains how perceived benefits, barriers, cues to action, and perceptions of healthcare experiences may influence patients' motivation to acquire and apply knowledge about their rights. Patient-Centred Care Theory emphasizes respect for patients' values, preferences, autonomy, participation, dignity, communication, and shared decision-making within healthcare delivery. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a suitable framework for explaining how patient rights education may influence knowledge of patient rights among adults attending public hospitals in Nigeria. The study will adopt a quantitative quasi-experimental or analytical cross-sectional research design. The study population will comprise adults aged 18 years and above attending selected public hospitals across Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique will be used to select geopolitical zones, states, local government areas, public hospitals, departments, and eligible patients. Patient rights education will be assessed using indicators such as exposure to structured educational sessions, availability of patient-rights information materials, frequency and duration of education, information on informed consent, privacy and confidentiality, respectful treatment, access to health information, participation in healthcare decisions, access to medical records where applicable, complaint and grievance procedures, non-discrimination, and responsibilities of patients. Knowledge of patient rights will be assessed using indicators such as participants' ability to identify key patient rights, understanding of informed consent, awareness of privacy and confidentiality protections, knowledge of the right to receive understandable health information, awareness of participation in healthcare decisions, knowledge of complaint mechanisms, understanding of non-discriminatory treatment, and recognition of appropriate channels for seeking assistance when rights are not respected. Data will be collected using structured questionnaires, validated patient-rights knowledge assessment tools, hospital patient-information materials, education attendance records, and relevant hospital documents. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize participants' characteristics, exposure to patient rights education, and knowledge scores. Inferential statistical techniques, including chi-square tests, t-tests, correlation analysis, and logistic or multiple regression analysis where appropriate, will be used to determine the effect of patient rights education on knowledge of patient rights. Where a quasi-experimental design is adopted, knowledge scores before and after the educational intervention may be compared with those of a comparison group to determine changes associated with the programme. Diagnostic tests will also be conducted to assess the reliability, validity, and robustness of the findings. The study is expected to find that patient rights education has a significant positive effect on knowledge of patient rights among adults attending public hospitals in Nigeria. Adults exposed to structured patient rights education are expected to demonstrate improved understanding of informed consent, privacy and confidentiality, respectful treatment, access to health information, participation in healthcare decisions, non-discrimination, and complaint mechanisms. Clear explanations, visual materials, patient information leaflets, group education, and individualized counselling may improve patients' ability to understand and remember their rights. Improved knowledge may also strengthen patients' participation in healthcare decisions and their ability to seek appropriate assistance when they believe their rights have not been respected. However, low health literacy, language barriers, inadequate educational materials, limited time for patient counselling, overcrowded hospitals, cultural beliefs, and inconsistent implementation of patient-rights policies may reduce the effectiveness of patient rights education. The study therefore expects accessible, understandable, culturally appropriate, and regularly reinforced patient rights education to contribute significantly to improved knowledge of patient rights among adults attending public hospitals in Nigeria. The study is expected to contribute to the literature on patient rights education, patient rights knowledge, health literacy, patient-centred care, healthcare quality, informed consent, healthcare communication, health equity, and public health in Nigeria. The findings will provide useful information to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, state ministries of health, public hospitals, hospital management boards, healthcare professionals, patient advocacy organizations, health educators, development partners, and policymakers regarding strategies for improving patients' awareness of their rights. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for strengthening patient-rights education within public hospitals, improving the availability of patient information materials, incorporating rights education into routine hospital orientation and health education, strengthening complaint and grievance mechanisms, improving healthcare communication, and promoting respectful, ethical, and patient-centred healthcare delivery across Nigeria.

Keywords: Patient rights education, knowledge of patient rights, adults, public hospitals, health literacy, informed consent, patient-centred care, healthcare communication, healthcare quality, Nigeria, public health.