Abstract
The present study was carried out with a view to examine the protective actions of physical and occupational therapists for patients's privacy. For this purpose, a survey was conducted with the questionnaires that were distributed to 297 physical and occupational therapists engaged in general hospitals as well as in rehabilitation clinics across the country from January 2 to 13, 2012. From the survey, it was made known that the overall extent of protective actions practiced by them was $3.54{\pm}.733$ in average. Divided by area, the average protective action in communication was $3.62{\pm}.776$, followed by $3.57{\pm}1.013$ in direct contact and $3.53{\pm}.780$ in maintenance and management, respectively. The analysis of general characteristics by each area showed that the older their age gets and the longer their career is, the more the protective action is practiced by them. Although they are well aware of the fact that the medical information of patients should be kept 100% secret and they practice it to almost excellent grade (5), the physical and occupational therapists, as key experts in charge of improving functions of patients, were found to have little concern for and little knowledge about contents of protecting medical information. It is thus required to perform public relation and instruction continuously to intensify their awareness of needs to protect patients' privacy and to implant ethical sense in this regard deep in their mind.
본 연구는 물리치료사와 작업치료사의 환자 프라이버시 보호행동 실천도를 알아보기 위해 시도되었다. 전국에 소재한 종합병원 및 재활치료 전문병원의 물리치료사와 작업치료사 297명을 대상으로 2012년 1월 2일부터 1월 13일까지 설문조사를 실시하였다. 연구결과 총 실천도 평균은 $3.54{\pm}.733$으로 나타났으며, 각 영역별 평균은 의사소통 영역 $3.62{\pm}.766$ 직접접촉 영역 $3.57{\pm}1.013$, 유지 관리 영역 $3.53{\pm}.780$ 순으로 나타났다. 일반적 특성 중 각 영역별로 분석한 결과 연령이 증가 할수록, 근무경력이 많을수록 실천도가 높았다. 환자 의료정보의 프라이버시는 100% 보호되어져야 하는 것이며, 실천도는 매우 잘 하고 있음의 수준(5)에 근접해야 할 것이나 환자의 기능 개선의 중추적 전문가인 치료사로서 의료정보 보호에 관한 관심이 적고 그 내용에 대해 거의 인지하지 못하는 것으로 나타났다. 이에 지속적인 홍보와 교육을 통하여 환자 프라이버시 보호에 대한 인식을 고취시고, 윤리의식을 확고하게 심어주는 마인드에 대한 제고가 필요하다.
