Zoheb Rafique Memon, Khalida Naz Memon, Aqsa Fatima Memon.
Level of Awareness regarding Right to Health and its Association with Sociodemographic Variables among Admitted patients in Tertiary Care Hospital of Sindh, Pakistan.
Pak J Public Health Jan ;13(4):151-5.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the awareness levels regarding the right to health and its correlation with sociodemographic variables among patients hospitalized in a tertiary care facility in Sindh, Pakistan. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 390 patients admitted to various medical and surgical wards at Liaquat University Hospital, Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan, from January 1, 2022, to March 31, 2022. The research received approval from the Research Ethics Committee, LUMHS Jamshoro (letter No: LUMHS/REC/-135 dated 16.08.2021), and informed consent was obtained from study participants. Patients aged >18 years, hospitalized for ≥ 3 days, were recruited through convenient sampling. Data collection utilized a questionnaire encompassing queries on the patients' sociodemographic characteristics. Patients' awareness of their rights to health was measured on a Likert scale and cumulatively expressed as mean ± standard deviation. Results: The majority of patients were aged >38 years (58.46%), with a male preponderance (62.05%). Awareness gaps were identified, particularly in the domain of being informed about diagnosis and treatment (1.72±1.06). Marital status and gender of the study subjects demonstrated a statistically significant association with the outcome measure of interest (p = 0.002 and 0.00, respectively), while patients' educational and occupational statuses yielded insignificant results (p = 0.08 and 0.10, respectively). Conclusion: Patients' perspectives regarding their right to health exhibit diverse associations with sociodemographic characteristics. This knowledge can be leveraged to bridge the gap between patients and healthcare service providers.

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