Every patient in the hospital is different in one way or another. As much as they all desire to get better so they can get discharged, they as well require the same level of privacy. Respecting privacy is form of recognition of the attributes that give humans their moral uniqueness. (Fried,1968;Moore,2005;NRC,2007a;Terry and Francis,2007). Privacy is of utmost importance as it also promotes values such as individuality and dignity and worth as human beings. (Bloustein,1967;Gavison,1980;Post,2001;Solove,2006;Taylor,1989;Westin,1966)
As Physiotherapists, part of our job is to ensure that privacy is kept, but how cautious can we get? A majority of hospital wards are divided by curtains which ensure that the next person does not know what goes on between the patient and the caregiver in the next cubicle. However, these curtains cannot block voices from going through as the caregiver communicates with the patient. This can be bad as some diseases that might be discussed come with stigmas that can demotivate a patient or make others think less of them.
A while ago while I was treating a patient in a hospital in a ward divided by curtains, there was a patient who heard part of the conversation and decided to comment. As a therapist, you sometimes have to raise your voice so that patients with partial loss of hearing can hear and understand what you are saying,however,this does come with a compromise to privacy as the next patient might hear what they were not supposed to hear.
Working as health practitioners, we should always make sure that information stays between us and the patient and no one else in the room. We can do this by improving communication with patients by using writing(if patient is partially deaf). It is also important to enunciate instead of using a louder tone or getting closer to the patient so that they can read your lips if possible. It is important as any other individual in the room might know the patient but is not supposed to know about them thus both patient and caregiver should have knowledge about privacy and how to keep it.
References
Jessica De Bord,DDS MSD MA,Wylie Burke,MD PhD,and Denise M.Dudzinski,PhD MTS(2013)
3 thoughts on “Are hospital wards private?”
Hi Akani. Thanks for sharing your post. I enjoyed reading it as this is a problem many of us encounter on a daily basis being health professionals. Here are a few points you might want to consider. Have you thought about using an art piece more captivating to the reader?. After reading your post, perhaps consider clarifying and exploring your ethical dilemma further. As you mentioned another patient had been listening to your conversation with your patient during the treatment session. Have you thought how your patient might have felt at the time? How did you feel at the time? What had been going through your mind? . Consider adding in a reference with regards to patient privacy?. Your intext referencing does not match your reference list. You mentioned that we can improve communication by using writing and being close by to the patient instead of using a loud tone, perhaps consider adding in a reference / hyperlink ?
Hey Mr Baloyi, this is a very relevant and insightful post as it is an encounter we all face on clincal block but pay no mind to it or even about the feelings of the patient. Have you considered going into more detail about what exactly is the ethical dilemma you are facing? It would helpful if you maybe added more references concerning the feelings of patients in similar situations and the importance of confidentiality.
Hi Akani! Thank you for sharing! I think you have a really good and relevant piece which applies to most of us. I like your idea and what you’re trying to say however have you considered being a bit more clear on the ethical dilemma? Your feelings? How it impacted your ability to treat the patient? As Nabeela and Avela mentioned, maybe some more references could be helpful.