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Patients' Rights and Responsibilities


~Revised 1/26/2011~

Your health depends not just on your hospital care but, in the long term, on the decisions you make in your daily life. You are responsible for recognizing the effect of lifestyle on your personal health. A hospital serves many purposes. Hospitals work to improve people's health; treat people with injury and disease; educate doctors, health professionals, patients, and community members; and improve understanding of health and disease. In carrying out these activities, Dosher Memorial Hospital works to respect your values and dignity.

NOTICE OF PATIENTS' RIGHTS:

Our mission at Dosher Memorial Hospital is to provide quality-driven, efficient, patient-focused care. We respect your right as a patient and recognize that you are an individual with unique healthcare needs. We want you to know your right as a patient as well as your obligation to yourself, other patients, your physicians, and this hospital. We encourage a partnership between you and your healthcare team at Dosher Memorial Hospital. Your role as a member of this team is to exercise your rights and take responsibility by asking for clarification of things you do not understand. These rights will be extended to family and/or surrogate decision makers, whichever is appropriate.

YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO:

1. Considerate and Respectful Care
We respect your right to:
• Be free from restraints and/or seclusion of any form that is not medically necessary or is used as a means of coercion, discipline, convenience, or retaliation by staff
• Expect quality treatment within the scope of our mission
• Be treated with dignity, regardless of your race, religion, beliefs, cultural values, gender, age, or financial status
• Expect all personnel involved in your care to introduce themselves, state their role in your care, and explain what they are doing for you
• Participate in the development and implementation of your plan of care

2. Patient Visitation
• You have the right to receive the visitors who you designate, including, but not limited to, a spouse, a domestic partner (including same sex domestic partner), another family member, or a friend;
• You have the right to withdraw or deny such consent at any time;
• Clinical Restrictions may be imposed on a patient's visitation rights.
• All visitors designated by the patients (or Support Persons where appropriate) shall enjoy visitation privileges that are no more restrictive than those that immediate family members would enjoy.

3. Information about Treatment
Your healthcare team will describe your proposed treatment to you. You can expect the team to explain:
a) Your condition and proposed treatments concisely
b) Your role in your care and the knowledge and skills you need
c) The alternatives of treatment, prognosis and problems related to recuperation, and the benefits and risks of each alternative

• It is your right to have access to information in your medical record within a reasonable time frame.
• It is your right to be information of any experimental, research, educational, or training activities that may be involved in your treatment. You will be asked if you wish to participate in these activities, and you have the right to refuse to participate.
• If you are limited in English language skills or if hearing problems inhibit your ability to communicate, help will be provided for you. If you need this service, please let someone on the staff know.

4. Participate in Decisions About Your Care
We respect your right:
• To informed consent in partnership with your physician to agree to treatment based on a full explanation of your disease, the risks and benefits of the proposed treatment, and the alternative treatments
• To refuse to diagnostic procedure or treatment It is your right to decide if you wish to be treated and if you do, by which method of treatment. If you elect to refuse treatment, you will be informed of the medical consequences of your decision. If you are a minor, your family and/or legal guardian will be involved in all treatment planning decisions for you.
• To be informed about the outcomes of care, treatment, and service that have been provided including unanticipated outcomes.

5. Privacy
The staff at this hospital strives to respect the privacy of all patients. Case discussions, examinations, and treatment are confidential and will be conducted discreetly. In addition, you have the right to:
• Close the curtain around your bed or close the door any time you want privacy
• Request no visitors; this may include restriction of phone calls and mail, if desired
• Request confidential status to protect your identity as a hospitalized patient
• Request a transfer to another room if you are unreasonably disturbed by another patient and/or visitor. Every effort will be made to accommodate you provided another suitable room is available.
• A safe and secure environment

6. Confidentiality
You have the right to expect that all of your medical records are confidential unless you have given permission to release information or reporting is required or permitted by law.

7. Advance Directives
• You have the right to request information regarding Advance Directives and to formulate an advance directive (Living Will and/or Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care). These documents allow you to give directions about future medical care or to legally designate another person/persons to make medical decisions for you if you are temporarily or permanently incapable of doing so. You will have access to care whether or not you have an advance directive.
• You will be asked if you have an Advance Directive when you are admitted to the hospital. If you have such a document, a copy will be placed in your medical record. You have the right to change, delete, or add to your advance directive at any time.
• You have the right as a patient, if you are in the terminal stages of life, to be treated in a manner commensurate with your desires or wishes, or the wishes of your legally designated decision-maker. This includes issues of conflict resolution, withholding resuscitative services, forgoing or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment and participation in investigational or clinical trials (to the extent provided by the law).
• Emphasis will be placed on effective pain management, psychological assessment of patient and family needs, and spiritual support.

8. Ethical Decisions
• We understand that you and your family may be faced with making difficult treatment choices while you are here. We respect your right to make an individual decision that is based on your personal beliefs and values as well as on the available medical information. You or your support person has the right to be personally involved in the consideration of all ethical issues involving your care. To assist you in the decision- making process, we suggest you consider the following questions:

1) Do you have all the information you need to make a decision about your care?
2) In case you are unable to speak for yourself, have you formulated an advance directive?

Various healthcare professionals such as social workers, chaplains, nurses, and physicians are available to help you discuss any concerns you may have. The hospital's staff can also assist patients, families, and your support person in thinking about these issues. You may call on these resources to assist you.


9. Pastoral Counseling
• You have the right to request pastoral/spiritual counseling from a member of the clergy.


10. Information Security
• Your medical information may only be disclosed to those directly involved in your care, to public health officials as required by law, to those entities financially responsible for your care and treatment (insurance companies), to assist researchers authorized by you, or for any other purposes required by law or authorized by you.
• You have the right to know what information we maintain and you are entitled to review that information.
• You have the right to receive photocopies of your medical record or bill. There may be a nominal charge for this service.
• Information cannot be erased, but information you believe to be in error can be marked as such with an amendment added to your medical record containing the corrected information.
• You have the right to block the release of your medical information to anyone not authorized to receive.
• You have the right to know which individuals, organizations, and government agencies have authority to access and have actually gained access to your medical information.
• Information released to third parties is not allowed to be re-released without your specific written authorization. A statement accompanies all releases of information that states that the information provided must be destroyed after the information has served its intended purpose.


11. Reasonable Response to Requests and Needs
You have the right to:
• Considerate and respectful care within the scope of our mission.
• Patients may experience pain. Unrelieved pain has adverse physical and psychological effects. The hospital respects and supports the right of patients to pain management. In accordance with the hospital's mission, this may occur through referral.
• Expect that Dosher Memorial Hospital will give you necessary health services to the best of our ability. Treatment, referral, or transfer may be recommended. If transfer is recommended or requested, you will be informed of the risks, benefits, and alternatives. You will not be transferred until the other institution agrees to accept you.
• Examine your hospital bill and to have it explained to you.
• Ask if this hospital has relationships with outside parties that may influence your treatment and care. These relationships may be with educational institutions, other healthcare providers, or insurers.
• Be told of realistic care alternatives when hospital care is no longer appropriate.

12. Protective Services
• You have the right to access local and state Protective Services. Hospital staff can provide you with a list of these agencies.
• You have the right to be free from all forms of abuse and harassment.

13. Voice Complaints
You have the right to voice concerns care, treatment, services, and patient safety issues. You are assured that the presentation of a concern will in no way compromise your access to care. Whenever you are admitted to the hospital, you will be informed of your rights, including the right to state concerns. If you have a concern, please ask to speak with the department director manager of the department, Senior Vice President, and/or Chief Executive Officer. If concerns cannot be resolved through the hospital, you can contact the Joint Commission Office of Quality Monitoring.


IN TURN, YOU HAVE THESE RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Provide Complete Medical Information - Patients, support persons, and families, as appropriate, must provide, to the best of their knowledge, accurate and complete information about present complaints, past illnesses, hospitalization, medications, and other matters relating to their health. Patients, support persons, and families must report perceived risks in their care and unexpected changes in their condition. They can help the hospital understand their environment by providing feedback about service needs and expectations.

2. Ask for Clear Explanations - If the explanation of your diagnosis, treatment, or your role in your case is not clear, ask questions until you understand.

3. Make Informed Decisions - Because you are responsible for the decisions you make about your care, we encourage you to gather as much information as you need to make your decisions. Once you and your physician have decided on a plan for treatment, be sure to advise your physician if you feel unable to follow the plan. You may be asked to consent in writing to certain tests, procedures, or operations. Ask as many questions as you must to fully understand each document you are asked to sign. Patients, families, and support persons are responsible for the outcomes if they do not follow the care, treatment, and service plan.

4. Understand - Understand your role in your care and the knowledge and skills you need. Know about your health problems. If there is anything you do not understand, ask any member of the healthcare team to explain it to you.

5. Report Changes - Tell your physician about any changes in your health.

6. Respect Others' Privacy - It is important to be considerate of other patients by observing their right to privacy, limiting your visits in a multi-bed room, and maintaining a quiet atmosphere. Telephones, televisions, radios, and lights should be used in a manner agreeable to others. Patients, support persons, and their families must be considerate of the hospital's staff and property as well as other patients and their property.

7. Hospital Rules and Regulations - Abide by hospital rules and regulations.

8. Meet Financial Commitments - Patients and their families should promptly meet any financial obligation agreed to with the hospital.