FYI: Patients' rights in hospitals at a glance

As a patient at the hospital, it is important to realize that you have both rights and responsibilities. This summary of patients' rights and responsibilities describe how you can participate in receiving quality care.

Respect
          Your Rights
 · To be treated with respect and courtesy
 · To receive safe, considerate, ethical and cost effective medical care
 · To have your individual cultural, spiritual and psychological needs respected
 · To have your privacy and personal dignity maintained
 · To expect that information regarding your care will be treated as confidential

Your Responsibilities
           · To respect hospital personnel
           · To respect care givers’ effort to provide care for other patients
           · To respect hospital property
           · To be considerate of other patients and to see that your visitors do the same

Treatment
         Your Rights
           · To receive treatment regardless of race, religion or any other discrimination prohibited by law.
           · To receive emergency treatment regardless of ability to pay
           · To expect reasonable continuity of care and to be informed of available and realistic care
             options when hospital care is no longer appropriate
           · To have your needs for pain management addressed and treated
           · To be free from the use of restraints and/or seclusion unless clinically necessary.

         Your Responsibilities
           · To follow your caregivers’ instructions and help them in their efforts to return you to health.
           · To inform your caregiver if you think there may be problems in following their instructions
           · To participate in decision making about your medical care
           · To recognize the impact of lifestyle on your personal health

Information
         Your Rights
           · To understand your diagnosis and treatment, as well as the possible outcomes, risks and
             benefits of your care.
           · To have information regarding your medical treatment explained to your family member or
             other appropriate individual when you are unable to participate in decisions about your care.
           · To be advised of hospital policies, procedures, rules and regulations that may affect your care.
           · To understand that your caregiver may both be teachers and students
           · To know the names/ titles of your caregiver.
           · To see your medical records (in accordance with hospital policy and/or the law)
           · To review your bill and to have any questions or concerns you have adequately addressed.

         Your Rights
           · To provide the hospital with accurate and complete information about your medical history
           · To ask your doctors for more information if you d not understand your illness or treatment
           · To provide the hospital with necessary payment and/or insurance information

Involvement
        Your Rights
          · To be involved in decisions concerning your care
          · To have your family members and/or others from participating in decisions about your care
          · To discuss any treatment planned for you
          · To give your informed consent or informed refusal for treatment
          · To leave the hospital or request a transfer (in accordance with hospital policy and/or the law)

Your Responsibilities
· To abide by hospital rules and regulations
· To keep your appointments
· To pay your bills on time (But if you can't. you must be willing to sign a promissory note that you will make
   good your payments at the agreed stipulations, hospitals cannot refuse your discharge should non-payment
   of bills is the reason.)

· To inform the hospital management if you believe your rights have been violated