THE OPINIONS OF HOSPITALIZED PATIENTS ABOUT EXPOSED DISCRIMINATION BASED ON HOSPITALS OR HEALTH PERSONNEL

The aim of this paper is to determine whether age discrimination exists for hospitalized patients. This study was conducted on 298 hospitalized patients at the Mersin University Medical Faculty Hospital in Mersin, Turkey, in May 2012. The questionnaire consisted of 8 questions trying to determine patients' socio-demographic attitudes and consisted of 22 items prepared by the authors. It was determined that 54.9% of the patients included in the study were male, 73.3% of them were married, 80.9% were subject to the social security system. A total of 87 participants reported that the physical conditions of the hospital were not appropriate. Approximately half of the patients mentioned that health care personnel explained what needed to be done to their relatives instead of the patients themselves. Patients were negatively affected by the physical characteristics of the hospital and were uncomfortable with, some negative attitudes of the health staff.