Original scientific paper

https://doi.org/10.7906/indecs.24.2.8

System-Level Legal Knowledge of Patients’ Rights and Related Obligations

Iva Lončarić Kelečić orcid.org/0000-0003-2517-3082 ; University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia & Libertas International University, Zagreb, Croatia
Maroje Višić orcid.org/0000-0002-0012-528X ; Libertas International University, Zagreb, Croatia *
Helena Konjevoda ; Libertas International University, Zagreb, Croatia
Vesna Konjevoda orcid.org/0000-0003-3636-1708 ; The Catholic University of Croatia, Zagreb, Croatia

* Corresponding author.

Abstract

Patients’ rights are a fundamental component of ethical and legally compliant healthcare, with professionals bearing primary responsibility for their implementation. This study aimed to examine healthcare professionals’ knowledge of legally defined patients’ rights and related professional obligations within the Croatian hospital system, to explore differences across sociodemographic and professional groups, and to assess whether distinct domains of legal knowledge can be identified.
A 2024 cross-sectional study in two Zagreb public hospitals used an anonymous online questionnaire with seven legally based clinical claims on patient rights and professional duties. Data were analysed descriptively and using nonparametric tests to examine differences across sociodemographic and professional groups, and Spearman’s rank correlation to assess associations between claims.
Based on 197 complete and analysed responses, high levels of agreement were observed for well-established and routinely applied patient rights, such as the right to restrict visits, voluntary discharge with a written statement, and disclosure of professional identity. Substantial uncertainty and misconceptions were identified for claims involving conditional legal norms and procedural obligations, including research involving minors, documentation of intent to leave, and the obligation to provide a second medical opinion. Selective group differences were observed by gender, age, professional group, and professional experience. Correlation analysis primarily revealed weak associations among claims, with suggestive clustering around patient autonomy.
In conclusion, healthcare professionals’ legal knowledge of patients’ rights is fragmented and domain-specific rather than unified, underscoring the need for targeted, context-based legal education to support consistent protection of patients’ rights in clinical practice.

Keywords

patients’ rights; legal knowledge; healthcare professionals; professional obligations; patient autonomy

Hrčak ID:

345592

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/345592

Publication date:

20.3.2026.

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