Health professionals' knowledge and attitude towards patient confidentiality and associated factors in a resource-limited setting: a cross-sectional study

Masresha Derese Tegegne; Mequannent Sharew Melaku; Aynadis Worku Shimie; Degefaw Denekew Hunegnaw; Meseret Gashaw Legese; Tewabe Ambaye Ejigu; Nebyu Demeke Mengestie; Wondewossen Zemene; Tirualem Zeleke; Ashenafi Fentahun Chanie

doi:10.1186/s12910-022-00765-0

Health professionals' knowledge and attitude towards patient confidentiality and associated factors in a resource-limited setting: a cross-sectional study

BMC Med Ethics. 2022 Mar 14;23(1):26. doi: 10.1186/s12910-022-00765-0.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Health Informatics, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia. masresha1derese@gmail.com.
² Department of Health Informatics, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
³ Department of Health Informatics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Debre Markos University, Debre Markos, Ethiopia.
⁴ Department of Health Information Technology, Debre Berhan Health Science College, Debre Berhan, Ethiopia.
⁵ Health Management Information System Unit, Mekaneselam Hospital, Mekaneselam, Ethiopia.
⁶ Department of Health Information Technology, Teda Health Science College, Teda, Ethiopia.

Abstract

Background: Respecting patients' confidentiality is an ethical and legal responsibility for health professionals and the cornerstone of care excellence. This study aims to assess health professionals' knowledge, attitudes, and associated factors towards patients' confidentiality in a resource-limited setting.

Methods: Institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted among 423 health professionals. Stratified sampling methods were used to select the participants, and a structured self-administer questionnaire was used for data collection. The data was entered using Epi-data version 4.6 and analyzed using SPSS, version 25. Bi-variable and multivariable binary logistic regression analyses were used to measure the association between the dependent and independent variables. Odds ratio with 95% confidence intervals and P value was calculated to determine the strength of association and to evaluate statistical significance.

Result: Out of 410 participants, about 59.8% with [95% CI (54.8-68.8%)] and 49.5% with [95% CI (44.5-54.5%)] had good knowledge and favorable attitude towards patents confidentiality respectively. Being male (AOR = 1.63, 95% CI [1.03-2.59]), taking training on medical ethics (AOR = 1.73, 95% CI = [1.11-2.70]), facing ethical dilemmas (AOR = 3.07, 95% CI [1.07-8.79]) were significantly associated factors for health professional knowledge towards patients' confidentiality. Likewise, taking training on medical ethics (AOR = 2.30, 95% CI [1.42-3.72]), having direct contact with the patients (AOR = 3.06, 95% CI [1.12-8.34]), visiting more patient (AOR = 4.38, 95% CI [2.46-7.80]), and facing ethical dilemma (AOR = 3.56, 95% CI [1.23-10.26]) were significant factors associated with attitude of health professionals towards patient confidentiality.

Conclusion: The findings of this study revealed that health professionals have a limited attitude towards patient confidentiality but have relatively good knowledge. Providing a continuing medical ethics training package for health workers before joining the hospital and in between the working time could be recommended to enhance health professionals' knowledge and attitude towards patient confidentiality.

Keywords: Attitude; Confidentiality; Ethiopia; Health professional; Knowledge.

MeSH terms

Confidentiality
Cross-Sectional Studies
Ethiopia
Female
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*
Health Personnel*
Humans
Male
Surveys and Questionnaires