Awareness of Senior Dental students about Patient Rights in Isfahan, Iran
Journal of Dental School,
Vol. 44 No. 1 (2026),
29 December 2025
,
Page e22
https://doi.org/10.22037/jds.v44i1.48917
Abstract
Objective(s): The Patient Rights Charter (PRC) in Iran was formulated to elucidate the rights of healthcare recipients and uphold the ethical standards of medical treatment. The present study aimed to determine the awareness of senior dental students (fifth and sixth-year) regarding the Patients' Rights. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study was conducted in 2022 among 119 dental students in Isfahan, Iran. A self-administrative electronic questionnaire was designed and validated based on five key dimensions of the PRC in Iran (receiving desired healthcare, access to information, decision rights, respecting patients' privacy, access to complaint system), the ethical guidelines of the American Dental Association (ADA), and the ethics manual of the World Dental Federation (WDF). The questionnaire included demographic information (gender, marital status, academic year, admission quota, Grade Point Average (GPA)), and 38 multiple choice scenarios. ANOVA and T-tests were used at a significance level of 0.05 to compare the total and 5-dimensions awareness mean based on GPA and admission quota levels, and based on the gender, marital status and academic year of the participants, respectively. Results: The level of awareness was higher in female students (p=0.02), and was desirable, moderate, and insufficient in 19%, 64% and 17% of students, respectively. The highest percentage of desirable awareness was observed in the second dimension (receiving information, 46%), whereas the lowest percentage was reported in the fourth dimension (principle of confidentiality, 6%). Conclusion: The participants exhibited a moderate level of awareness, indicating the need for specific strategies to improve students' awareness of patient rights before graduation.
- Awareness
- Dental Students
- Patient Rights
- Iran
How to Cite
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