Assessing the knowledge about Consumer Protection Act and medical negligence in a medical college setting

Abstract

The doctor-patient relationship relies on mutual trust and conviction, but this trust, sacredness, and confidence, has become the talk of olden days, and now it sounds hollow. Some incidences cause suffering to the patients, forcing the legislature and the public to think twice about the credibility and authenticity of medical treatment given to the patients. In India, the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) of 1986 was enacted for better protection of the interests of consumer grievances. The current study was conducted to know awareness about CPA and medical negligence among faculty members in a private medical college & hospital. It was found that the awareness about CPA and medical negligence among the faculty was unsatisfactory. More than 65% of the participating faculties scored less than 50% in the questionnaire given to test their level of awareness, and only around 7% of the faculty could score75% and above. The study calls for increasing awareness regarding various issues of the Consumer Protection Act among the medical fraternity.