Patient Rights and Responsibilities

This document will explain your patient rights and responsibilities. It is part of your patient registration and is an important part of your health care plan.

YOUR PATIENT RIGHTS

Welcome to our Practice. We respect our patients' dignity and pride.

This document will explain your patient rights and responsibilities. It is part of your patient registration and is an important part of your health care plan. If you have any questions, please contact the Practice/Clinic leadership.

Our commitment to you, our patient, includes the following rights. We comply with applicable Federal civil rights laws and affirm that we will deliver high-quality health care to every patient without regard to: age, gender, disability, race, color, ancestry, citizenship, religion, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, health condition, marital status, veteran status, payment source or ability, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state, or local law.

Protective services

To access protective and advocacy services
To be free from restraints of any form that are not medically necessary or are used as a means of coercion, discipline, convenience, or retaliation by staff
The patient who receives treatment for mental illness or developmental disability, in addition to the rights listed herein, has the rights provided by any applicable state law
To all legal and civil rights as a citizen unless otherwise prescribed by law
To have upon request an impartial review of hazardous treatments or irreversible surgical treatments prior to implementation except in emergency procedures necessary to preserve one's life
To an impartial review of alleged violations of patient rights
To expect emergency procedures to be carried out without unnecessary delay
To receive treatment for any emergency medical condition that will deteriorate from failure to provide treatment
To give consent to a procedure or treatment and to access the information necessary to provide such consent
To not be required to perform work for the facility unless the work is part of the patient's treatment and is done by choice of the patient
To file a complaint with the Department of Health or other quality improvement, accreditation or other certifying bodies if he /she has a concern about patient abuse, neglect, about misappropriation of a patient's property in the facility or other unresolved complaint, patient safety or quality concern

Considerate and respectful care

To receive ethical, high-quality, safe and professional care without discrimination
To be free from all forms of abuse and harassment
To be treated with consideration, respect and recognition of their individuality, including the need for privacy in treatment. This includes the right to request the facility provide a person of one's own gender to be present during certain parts of physical examinations, treatments or procedures performed by a health professional of the opposite sex, except in emergencies, and the right not to remain undressed any longer than is required for accomplishing the medical purpose for which the patient was asked to undress

Information regarding health status and care

To be informed of his/her health status in terms that patient can reasonably be expected to understand, and to participate in the development and the implementation of his/her plan of care and treatment
The right to be informed of the names, functions and qualifications of all physicians and other health care professionals who are providing direct care to the patient
The right to be informed about any continuing health care requirements after his/her discharge from the hospital. The patient shall also have the right to receive assistance from the physician and appropriate hospital staff in arranging for required follow-up care after discharge.
To be informed of risks, benefits and side effects of all medications and treatment procedures, particularly those considered innovative or experimental
To be informed of all appropriate alternative treatment procedures
To be informed of the outcomes of care, treatment and services
To appropriate assessment and management of pain
To be informed if the hospital has authorized other health care and/or education institutions to participate in the patient's treatment. The patient shall also have a right to know the identity and function of these institutions, and may refuse to allow their participation in his/her treatment

Decision making and notification

To choose a person to be his/her healthcare representative and/or decision maker. The patient may also exercise his/her right to exclude any family members from participating in his/her healthcare decisions.
To have a family member, chosen representative and/or his or her own physician notified promptly of admission to the hospital
To request or refuse treatment. This right must not be construed as a mechanism to demand the provision of treatment or services deemed medically unnecessary or inappropriate
To be included in experimental research only when he or she gives informed, written consent to such participation. The patient may refuse to participate in experimental research, including the investigations of new drugs and medical devices
To formulate advance directives and have hospital staff and practitioners who provide care in the hospital comply with these directives
To leave the healthcare facility against one's physician's advice to the extent permitted by law

Access to services

To receive, as soon as possible, the free services of a translator and/or interpreter, telecommunications devices, and any other necessary services or devices to facilitate communication between the patient and the hospitals' health care personnel (e.g., qualified interpreters, written information in other languages, large print, accessible electronic formats)
To bring a service animal into the facility, except where service animals are specifically prohibited pursuant to facility policy (e.g., operating rooms, patient units where a patient is immunosuppressed or in isolation)
To pastoral counseling and to take part in religious and/or social activities while in the hospital, unless one's doctor thinks these activities are not medically advised
To safe, secure and sanitary accommodation and a nourishing, well balanced and varied diet
To access people outside the facility by means of verbal and written communication
To have accessibility to facility buildings and grounds. recognizes the Americans with Disabilities Act, a wide-ranging piece of legislation intended to make American society more accessible to people with disabilities. The policy is available upon request
To a prompt and reasonable response to questions and requests for service
To request a discharge planning evaluation

Access to medical records

To have his/her medical records, including all computerized medical information, kept confidential and to access information within a reasonable time frame. The patient may decide who may receive copies of the records except as required by law
Upon leaving the healthcare facility, patients have the right to obtain copies of their medical records

Ethical decisions

To participate in ethical decisions that may arise in the course of care including issues of conflict resolution, withholding resuscitative services, foregoing or withdrawal of life sustaining treatment, and participation in investigational studies or clinical trials
If the healthcare facility or its team decides that the patient's refusal of treatment prevents him/her from receiving appropriate care according to ethical and professional standards, the relationship with the patient may be terminated

YOUR PATIENT RESPONSIBILITIES

You are an important and active member of your care plan. You have certain responsibilities to yourself and to your care team.

In the spirit of shared trust and respect, we ask you to:

Give true and complete information about your:
- Health status
- Medical history
- Hospitalizations
- Medicines
- Other matters about your health
- Contact information, family members and caregivers and other needed information
Let us know:
- Any risks about your care
- Changes in your care, illness, or injury
- Safety concerns
- Violation of your patient rights
- If you understand your care plan and what we expect from you
- If you don’t understand your care plan or its information
- If you have or need to ask questions
Please:
- Follow your care plan and instructions created by your doctor, nurses or other health care team members
- Keep appointments and, if you cannot make your appointments, let us know at least 24 hours before your appointment
- Be responsible for your actions if you refuse care or don’t follow doctor’s orders
- Pay your health care bills in a timely manner
- Follow practice procedures, rules and regulations
- Be thoughtful of the rights of other patients and our staff
- Be respectful of yourself and our staff
- Help staff to assess your pain, to assist you to discuss and get prompt relief, communicate your concerns about pain medicines and develop a pain management plan
- Treat the doctor and our health care staff with respect and consideration
- Accept that bad language or behavior is not tolerated and may be grounds for dismissal
- Accept we may end our relationship if you do not follow your doctor’s orders or care plan