The Right to Choose a Physician

One of the most fundamental patient rights is the right to choose their physician. To enable this right, efforts to increase the number of outpatient clinic rooms in hospitals were initiated in 2004 with the "Physician Selection Application" initiative. The work undertaken in this context is listed below:

CIRCULAR PUBLISHED - September 2004

On September 8, 2004, Circular No. 2004/117, "Restructuring of Outpatient Services," was published. Within this scope, hospitals meeting the conditions specified in the Circular began displaying the "Right to Choose a Physician Logo" in their hospitals.

INPATIENT TREATMENT INSTITUTION MANAGEMENT REGULATION - May 2005

The following clause was added to the Inpatient Treatment Institution Management Regulation: "In inpatient treatment institutions, arrangements will be made to ensure that every clinician specialist provides outpatient services, thus enabling patients to choose their physician."

GUIDELINES ON PHYSICIAN SELECTION PUBLISHED - October 2007

In order to determine the procedures and principles regarding the free selection and change of physicians by patients receiving or currently receiving healthcare services, and to ensure that physicians in healthcare institutions provide outpatient services accordingly, and to establish the necessary service, physical, and personnel infrastructure for this purpose, studies on guidelines were initiated, and on October 17, 2007, with the Official Approval No. 9379, the "Guidelines on Organizing Outpatient Services in Healthcare to Allow Patients to Choose and Change Physicians" were published.

These guidelines cover primary healthcare institutions affiliated with the Ministry of Health, as well as district hospitals, general hospitals, specialized hospitals, training and research hospitals, and oral and dental health centers.
Circular on Oral and Dental Health Services Published - October 2007

In this context, circular number 21481, dated October 17, 2007, was published to initiate the application in oral and dental health centers.

Written Instructions Sent to All Provinces - July 2008

A letter was sent to all governorships instructing hospitals that do not currently provide the right to choose a physician to utilize their physical resources (including neighborhood clinics) to the fullest extent to begin the physician selection process. All institutions were also instructed to display the physician selection logo, as specified in the Physician Selection Directive, in their institutions no later than September 15, 2008. The instruction was given that by this date, no hospital would remain without providing the right to choose a physician (except for very compelling reasons, which will be explained). Hospitals that fail to provide the right to choose a physician were requested to submit a detailed report explaining their reasons to the Ministry.

CURRENT SITUATION

“The patient has the right to freely choose his or her physician.” (Lisbon Declaration 1981)

“Patients have the right to choose and change their physician or other healthcare personnel and healthcare institutions, in accordance with the functioning of the healthcare system.” (Amsterdam Declaration 28-30 March 1994)

“The patient has the right to freely choose and change his or her physician and hospital or healthcare institution, regardless of whether it is in the private or public sector. The patient has the right to seek the opinion of another physician at any stage.” (Bali Declaration September 1995)