LACK OF PRIVACY DURING MEDICAL EXAMS COMMON IN TAIWAN|產檢隱私不夠落實 醫改會盼納入評鑑

A Taiwanese celebrity recently posted her prenatal checkup experience on Facebook, saying that the lack of privacy in the consulting room is a concern. The Taiwan Healthcare Reform Foundation said that currently, there isn't enough respect for medical privacy in the country. They hope that a higher standard for patient confidentiality can be included in the hospital accreditation reviews. Doctors said that sometimes hospitals are overcrowded, but patients can request for arrangements in advance if they are uncomfortable with the hospital's privacy protocols. Expectant mothers have to get their blood pressure checked before their consultation. Sometimes hospitals may have several patients waiting in the consulting room to expedite the process. Even with a separation screen or curtain, some women still find this uncomfortable. ==PATIENT== Some clinics are like that, but some big hospitals are not. I did choose a hospital that provides privacy. (It's better to keep patients separated.) Yes. The nurse needs to control the process because the consultation session should be private. ==PATIENT== I think privacy is important. Of course I don't want others to hear my consultation with the doctor. That's not good. Many people feel uncomfortable in a consulting room where private medical information may be overheard by others. Some doctors said that the issue is due to the excessive number of patients or lack of resources for hospitals under the current healthcare system. The Taiwan Healthcare Reform Foundation believes that there needs to be more respect for health privacy. ==CHU HSIAN-KUANG, Taiwan Healthcare Reform Foundation== We need to make sure medical privacy is respected. This is a basic standard. However, in Taiwan, patients want to get things done fast, and hospitals also want efficiency. As a result, sometimes patients' concerns are neglected. ==YIN CHANG-SHEN== The problem is human resources shortage at hospitals. There are not enough gynecologists in Taiwan. That's why this problem occurs. Current regulations do not require the practice of "one patient in, one patient out' in consultation rooms. However, doctors said that patients can request for assistance if they feel uncomfortable or disrespected. Hospitals will do their best to help. TRANSLATED BY：CHRISTINA LIU 準媽媽產檢問診前，需要先量血壓，部分醫療院所為了加快看診速度，或是診間設計的關係，同一個診間可能同時會有好幾個人，雖然有布廉或是隔間，但有些人還是會覺得很不自在。 ==民眾== 有些診所有 有些大醫院不會 我是有選一下 最好是一進一出 對啊 因為護士要去管控這件事情 對啊 我覺得那個很隱私 ==民眾== 會啊 會啊 會在意(隱私)對啊 如果說人家聽到你現在的狀況 那當然是不太好的狀況 對啊 醫療隱私越來越被重視，同一診間等待的人、互相都會知道對方隱私感覺不佳，對此，有婦產科醫師認為，可能因為病患太多，或是在健保體系下、受限經費、讓空間有限等種種複雜因素導致，醫改會則認為，這是台灣尊重病患隱私的觀念、還不夠普及。 ==醫改會副執行長 朱顯光== 落實一進一出 我覺得這是一個最基本的要求 但台灣可能就會覺得說 我看診要快要方便 然後醫院也講究效率 那就很會容易忽略 病人真正心裡的感受 ==婦產科醫師 尹長生== 一方面是醫療的人力 那婦產科醫師現在是非常的少 全台灣都缺很 多地方都沒有醫師 所以這種(診間多人)情況也會有 依照目前相關法規，並沒有強制醫療院所看診需要落實"一進一出"，但醫師認為，如果病患覺得不舒服或不被尊重，都可以透過溝通，醫護人員都會進行協助。 記者 薛宜家 陳保羅 台北報導