To cite this article: Neuroendocrinol Lett 2014; 35(Suppl. 1):5–10 ORIGINAL ARTICLE Neuroendocrinology Letters ISSN: 0172-780X; ISSN-L: 0172-780X; Electronic/Online ISSN: 2354-4716 Web of Knowledge / Web of Science: Neuroendocrinol Lett Pub Med / Medline: Neuro Endocrinol Lett The hospitalized patient as a partner in the survey on safe care in the Czech Republic Sylva Bártlová, Valérie Tóthová, Iva Brabcová, Radka Prokešová, David Kimmer University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Health and Social Studies, Department of Nursing and Midwifery, České Budějovice, Czech Republic Correspondence to: Assoc. Prof. PhDr. Sylva Bártlová, PhD. University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Health and Social Studies, Department of Nursing and Midwifery, U V ýstaviště 26, 370 04 České Budějovice, Czech Republic. e-mail: sbartlova@zsf.jcu.cz Submitted: 2014-08-20 Accepted: 2014-09-08 Published online: 2014-09-15 Key words: safety; patient; misconduct; confusion; hand washing Neuroendocrinol Lett 2014; 35(Suppl. 1):5–10 PMID: 25433348 NEL350914A01 © 2014 Neuroendocrinology Letters • www.nel.edu Abstract OBJECTIVES: The study examined the extent to which patients in the Czech Republic are involved in decisions regarding their treatment and whether they are interested in ensuring safety during hospitalization. METHODS: Patients were interviewed to determine their perspectives regarding the previously stated objectives. The sample consisted of 514 patients who had been admitted to hospital for a minimum of three days. RESULTS: It is clear that patients in the Czech Republic are unaware of safety issues associated with provided care, but 52.2% of respondents expressed a desire to be more involved in decisions pertaining to their treatment. Widowed patients, as well as those hospitalized for more than six days, expressed less of a desire for such involvement. Half of the patients enrolled in the study stated that health care professionals had encouraged them to ask questions about their treatment. With regard to errors associated with surgical reversals, 58.3% of respondents stated that nursing staff had performed checkups to avoid confusion in surgery. Another patient safety issue is nosocomial infection acquired through improper hand-washing techniques of medical personnel. 73.5% of patients said they would not have the courage to ask medical staff (doctors or nurses) whether they had washed their hands prior to examination. CONCLUSION: Patients in the Czech Republic are unaware of the safety issues associated with provided care, but more than half expressed a desire to be more involved in decisions that pertain their treatment. INTRODUCTION Increasing patient safety is a global phenomenon and was codified in April 2005 in the Luxem- bourg Declaration on Patient Safety. A frequently discussed and highly problematic issue is patient participation in the assurance of their own safety in healthcare facilities. The seemingly simple question of what role patients can play in this pursuit conceals some very complex problems. Patients contribute to their own care by provid- ing diagnostic information; participating in deci- sions pertaining to their treatment; choosing a care provider and treatment method; monitor- ing adverse events and more. Knowledge, ability to act and a willingness to participate in assuring their own safety may vary from patient to patient and vary under different circumstances. Older individuals who were raised to seldom question a physician’s authority are unlikely to ask questions