Patients' rights in ethnic cross-section

Abstract

The perception of health and sickness are culturally determined and, therefore, ethnic and religious socialization forms attitudes toward the medical system. During everyday practice, patients' rights and obligations, which are based on the norms of the major society, confront Roma minority norms. The aim of the authors was to explore the main interferences of patients' rights and obligations during the medical care of the Roma. The authors analyzed the results of medical anthropology, health sociology, and the experience obtained from more than 40 courses about patients' rights. Cultural determinants, effects of the lower socioeconomic status and social-psychological mechanism equally form the situations of healthcare and the observance of patients' rights and obligations. Most of the misunderstandings between healthcare workers and Roma patients stem from the lack of knowledge about cultural differences. Therefore, transcultural approach and Romani studies should be significant part of graduate and postgraduate courses in the field of medical education.