title: [Cancer patients' knowledge about their legal rights].
abstract: The study objectives were: to survey the knowledge that oncology patients have about their legal rights, to identify the most known rights, and verify their knowledge about the procedure for requesting it. A survey was performed applying a checklist instrument during an interview. Participants were 42 oncology patients who were undergoing chemotherapy and their relatives. Of all participants, 57% were female; 28% were between 61 and 70 years old; 62% had completed only primary education; 72% were married; 50% had a family income of 2.6 minimum salaries. 45% were unaware of the benefits; among the existing benefits, retirement was recognized by 23%; 33% stated the medical record as the most important document; 38% had access to the information through the media; 23% had not requested any benefits and 31% reported obtaining some kind of benefit. In conclusion, nurses should work effectively to disseminate the patients' rights, so that benefits are guaranteed and their condition as citizens is respected.
authors.affiliation: Centro Colaborador da OMS para o Desenvolvimento da Pesquisa em Enfermagem, Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brasil. megumi@eerp.usp.br
authors.forename: Helena Megumi
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Sonobe
authors.forename: Luciana Scatralhe
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Buetto
authors.forename: Márcia Maria Fontão
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Zago
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms; D028701:Patient Rights