Patient Rights & Responsibilities

As a Patient, You Have the Right to:

• Be treated in a safe setting, with courtesy and dignity, free from verbal or physical abuse or harassment.
• Impartial access to treatment or accommodations that are available and medically indicated, regardless of race, color, national origin, age, sex, religion, handicap, or source of payment for care.
• Obtain from physicians and other direct caregivers, relevant, current, and understandable information concerning diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis.
• Be informed about the outcomes of care, including unanticipated outcomes.
• Be involved in decision-making concerning your plan of care and treatment.
• Consent to or refuse a treatment, as permitted by law, throughout your hospital stay.  If you refuse a recommended treatment, you will receive other needed and available care.
• Access to an interpreter, when the patient does not speak or understand the predominant language of the community or is hearing impaired. 
• Know the name of the physician responsible for coordinating your care and any other physicians who will be treating you or assisting your primary physician.
• Every consideration of privacy while receiving hospital or clinic services.
• Be free from any form of restraint that is not medically necessary.
• Pain assessment and management as part of your care and treatment.
• Have or formulate an advance directive, and have staff or practitioners who provide care in the hospital/clinic comply with these directives.  If you have a written advance directive, you should provide a copy to the hospital, your family, and your doctor.
• Be informed of the procedure for voicing a complaint or dissatisfaction about your service or care.
• Receive the visitors whom you designate unless justified clinical restrictions apply.
• Expect that the hospital will give you necessary health services to the best of its ability.
• Expect that treatment records are confidential unless you have given permission to release information or reporting is required or permitted by law.
• Review your medical records and to have information explained, except when restricted by law.
• An explanation about any charges and concerns about your bill.
• Have a family member, chosen representative, and/or your own physician notified promptly of your admission if desired.
• Appeal premature discharge and receive beneficiary notice of non-coverage.

---

As a Patient, You Are Responsible to:

• Follow hospital rules and regulations affecting patient care and conduct.  This includes noise control, limiting visitors and not smoking.
• Provide, to the best of your knowledge, a complete and accurate medical history.
• Participate in your plan of care and treatments.
• Follow the recommendations and advice prescribed.
• Ask questions about anything you do not understand.
• Notify staff of any change in your condition.
• Accept the consequences of your actions if you refuse treatment or do not follow the practitioner’s instructions.
• Make known whether a proposed course of action is understood and whether you understand those things you are expected to do.
• Be considerate of the rights of other patients.
• Provide information about unexpected complications.
• Respect the property of other people and of the hospital/clinic.
• Safeguard any items and valuables which you choose to bring to the hospital/clinic.
• Ensure that the hospital has a copy of your written advance directive if you have one.
• Be on time for procedures, including clinic visits/admission.  If you cannot make the scheduled times, you are responsible for notifying the department or physician.
• Assure that the financial obligations for the health care provided are fulfilled.