Awareness and perception of patients on the Ghana patients’ rights charter at a mission hospital in Ashanti region, Ghana: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Background Respect for patients’ rights is a cornerstone of quality, patient-centred health care and effective healthcare governance. Ghana’s Patients’ Rights Charter (PRC), introduced in 2002, provides a policy framework for protecting and promoting these rights. However, evidence on patients’ awareness, perceptions, and ability to exercise these rights remains limited, particularly in rural and peri-urban healthcare settings. Objective This study aims to assess patients’ awareness of their rights under the Patients’ Rights Charter (PRC), examine the influence of demographic factors on awareness, explore patients’ perceptions of respect for their rights by health workers, and identify challenges patients face in exercising their rights. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 395 inpatients and outpatients at Ahmadiya Mission Hospital, Effiduase Asokore. Participants were selected using stratified and simple random sampling techniques. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were conducted using SPSS to assess associations between awareness of patient rights and socio-demographic characteristics, with statistical significance set at p ≤ 0.05. Results Overall, 71.9% of respondents were aware that patients have legally protected rights, reflecting general awareness of patient rights rather than specific familiarity with the Patients’ Rights Charter. Key sources of information included family and friends (35.2%), the media (29.7%), and healthcare workers (21.8%). Awareness was significantly associated with age (p < 0.001), marital status (p < 0.001), and level of education (p = 0.030). Although perceived respect for patient rights was generally moderate to high (mean scores 3.78–4.21 on a 5-point Likert scale), 11.6% of respondents reported experiencing some form of mistreatment. Fear of victimization and limited knowledge of reporting mechanisms were identified as major barriers to asserting patient rights. Conclusion Despite relatively high awareness of the Patients’ Rights Charter, gaps persist in the practical enforcement and exercise of patient rights. Findings should be interpreted cautiously given the study’s single-facility design and reliance on self-reported data. Strengthening patient education, improving communication between health workers and patients, and fostering institutional cultures that support accountability, are essential to enhance patient empowerment and rights-based care.