Exploring patients' perspectives on patient rights in Latvia: from awareness to implementation and strengthening

Implementation of patient rights plays a crucial role in ensuring the quality of healthcare systems by establishing health care practices prioritising human dignity, autonomy, individual and public benefit, patient safety and justice. The aim of this study was to evaluate potential gaps in the implementation of patient rights in Latvia from patients’ perspective across four contexts: visits to family physicians, visits to specialist physicians, hospital stays, and use of the e-health system. A questionnaire was developed by the authors. The first part of the questionnaire explored patients’ experience of implementing patient rights during visits to family physician, specialist physicians and hospital stays. The second part included questions on respondents’ knowledge and experience of using the e-health system. The survey was conducted in 2024 and enrolled a representative sample of 1133 respondents. There were statistically significant differences in experience of implementation of patient rights during visits to family physicians and specialist physicians in almost all survey statements. In most cases, these differences were in favour of the specialist physician indicating a more positive experience. Implementation of patient rights during visits to specialist physicians was more positively evaluated also in comparison to the hospital environment. Most respondents were unaware of the e-health system's opportunities to express their wishes and consent or dissent to particular actions in healthcare, with only a small percentage using it for this purpose. The main reasons for not using the system included a lack of willingness, perceived importance, and digital skills, with significant differences observed based on gender, age, education, ethnicity, and income. Patients in Latvia report more positive experiences with the implementation of their rights in outpatient care, especially with specialist physicians, and less favourable experiences during hospital stays. Limited awareness of e-health system functionalities that support implementation of patient rights highlights the need for targeted educational initiatives.