Patient Rights & Responsibilities
PATIENT RIGHTS:
- Receive access to equal medical treatment and accommodations regardless of race, creed, sex, national origin, religion or sources of payment for care.
- Be fully informed and have complete information, to the extent known by the physician, regarding diagnosis, treatment, procedure and prognosis, as well as the risks and side effects associated with treatment and procedure prior to the procedure.
- Exercise his or her rights without being subjected to discrimination or reprisal.
- Voice grievances regarding treatment or care that is (or fails to be) furnished.
- Receive care in a safe setting that is free from all forms of abuse or harassment.
- Expect personnel who care for the patient to be friendly, considerate, and respectful and qualified through education and experience, as well as perform the services for which they are responsible with the highest quality of services.
- Be fully informed of the scope of services available at the facility, provisions for after-hours care and related fees for services rendered.
- Be a participant in decisions regarding the intensity and scope of treatment. If the patient is unable to participate in those decisions, the patient’s rights shall be exercised by the patient’s designated representative or other legally designated person.
- Refuse treatment to the extent permitted by law and be informed of the medical consequences of such refusal. The patient accepts responsibility for his or her actions should he or she refuses treatment or not follows the instructions of the physician or facility.
- Approve or refuse the release of medical records to any individual outside the facility, or as required by law or third party payment contract.
- Be informed of any human experimentation or other research/educational projects affecting his or her care of treatment and can refuse participation in such experimentation or research without compromise to the patient’s usual care.
- Express grievances/complaints and suggestions at any time.
- Access to and/or copies of his/her medical records.
- Be informed as to the facility’s policy regarding advance directives/living wills.
- Be fully informed before any transfer to another facility or organization and ensure the receiving facility has accepted the patient transfer.
- Express those spiritual beliefs and cultural practices that do not harm or interfere with the planned course of medical therapy for the patient.
- Expect the facility to agree to comply with Federal Civil Rights Laws that assure it will provide interpretation for individuals who are not proficient in English.
- Have an assessment and regular assessment of pain.
- Education of patients and families, when appropriate, regarding their roles in managing pain.
- If a patient is adjudged incompetent under applicable state health and safety laws by a court of proper jurisdiction, the rights of the patient are exercised by the person appointed under State law to act on the patient’s behalf. If a state court has not adjudged a patient incompetent, any legal representative designated by the patient in accordance with state laws may exercise the patient’s rights to the extent allowed by state law.
PATIENT RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Be considerate of other patients and personnel and for assisting in the control of noise, smoking and other distractions.
- Respecting the property of others and the facility.
- Reporting whether he or she clearly understands the planned course of treatment and what is expected of him or her.
- Keeping appointments and, when unable to do so for any reason, notifying the facility and physician.
- Providing caregivers with the most accurate and complete information regarding present complaints, past illnesses and hospitalizations, medications, unexpected changes in the patient’s condition or any other patient health matters.
- Observing prescribed rules of the facility during his or her stay and treatment and, if instructions are not followed, forfeiting to care at the facility.
- Promptly fulfilling his or her financial obligations to the facility.
- Identifying any patient safety concerns.