Your Patient Rights
Your voice in your healthcare
As a patient in the hospital or facility, you have rights that the facility is committed to protect and promote. The hospital respects your rights and recognizes that you are an individual with unique health care needs and because of the importance of respecting your personal dignity, provides considerate, respectful care focused on your individual needs.
Patient rights
1. The right to impartial access to treatment or accommodations that are available or medically indicated and hospital prohibits discrimination based on age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture, language, physical or mental disability, socioeconomic status, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression
2. The right to know the identity and professional status of individuals providing service and to know which physician or other practitioner is primarily responsible for your care. This includes the right to know of the existence of any professional relationship to any other health care or educational institutions involved in your care.
3. The right to obtain complete and current information concerning diagnosis (to the degree known), treatment, and any known prognosis or unanticipated outcomes. This information will be communicated in terms that are understood. The hospital will provide information to the patient who has vision, speech, hearing, or cognitive impairment in a manner that meets the patient’s needs to include adherence to the hospital policy on service animals.
4. The right to participate in decisions involving health care. To the degree possible, this should be based on a clear, concise explanation of your condition and of proposed technical procedures, including the possibilities of any risk of mortality or serious side effects, problems related to recuperation, and probability of success. You will not be subjected to any procedure without your voluntary consent or that of your legally authorized representative (except in emergencies).
5. The hospital honors the patient’s right to give or withhold informed consent to produce or use recordings, films, or other images of the patient for purposes other than his or her care.
6. The right to receive, from your physician, information necessary to give informed consent prior to the start of any procedure and/or treatment, the specific procedure and/or treatment, the risks involved, the probable duration of incapacitation, alternatives for care or treatment, and benefits of the procedure and/or treatment. You also have the right to know the name of the person performing the procedures and/or treatment.
7. The patient or the Patient’s Representative (as allowed under State law) has the right to make informed decisions regarding his or her care. This includes the right to be informed of the patient’s health status, being involved in care planning and treatment, and being able to request or refuse treatment and to be informed of the medical consequences of such refusal.
8. The right to have a completed Advance Directive (such as a Living Will or Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare) placed in the medical record with the expectation that the hospital staff and Practitioners will honor the directive to the extent permitted by law and hospital policy
9. The right that the care provided will not be discontinued based on the presence of an advance directive
10.The right to expect that all communications and records pertaining to care will be treated as confidential. The medical record/computer information will be retrieved only by individuals involved in your treatment, monitoring its quality and or by other individuals only on their written authorization or that of a legally authorized representative within a reasonable period of time.
11.The right to review and/or request a copy of the records pertaining to your medical care and to have the information explained or interpreted as necessary, except when restricted by law.
12.The right, within the limits of law, to personal privacy and to expect that any discussion or consultation involving care will be conducted discreetly, and that individuals not directly involved in your care will not be present without your permission.
13.The right to be interviewed and examined in surroundings designed to provide reasonable audiovisual privacy.
14.The right to have a family member or representative of choice and own physician notified promptly of your admission to the hospital.
15.The right to the hospital’s reasonable response to your requests and needs for treatment or service, within the hospital’s capacity, its stated mission, and applicable law and regulation.
16.The right to an environment that preserves dignity and contributes to a positive self-image and considerate and respectful care which will include consideration of the psycho-social, spiritual, and cultural variables that influence the perceptions of illness.
17. The patient has the right to be free from neglect; exploitation; and verbal, mental, physical, and sexual abuse
18.This hospital supports the right of a patient to request and have a chaperone present during certain sensitive physical examinations and treatments. Sensitive physical examinations and treatments are typically those that involve the reproductive and sexual organs, those that may be perceived as potentially threatening to a patient’s sense of privacy or modesty, or those that may induce feelings to vulnerability or embarrassment. Healthcare providers should be aware that a patient’s cultural and religious beliefs might necessitate the presence of a chaperone or same gender provider. As part of an use a chaperone during a sensitive physical examination or treatment should be made by the patient following discussion with the healthcare provider performing the exam. The chaperone may be another healthcare provider of the same gender as the patient or a friend or family member depending on the patient’s preference.
19. The right to appropriate assessment and management of pain and to be involved in the planning and treatment of pain.
20.The right 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 the staff.
21.The right to information, at the time of admission, about your rights and responsibility and mechanism for the initiation, review, and when possible, resolution of complaints concerning care.
22.The right to voice complaints about the care, and to have those complaints reviewed and when possible, resolved.
23.The right to receive comfort, dignity and pain management while supporting your psycho-social and spiritual concerns and your family regarding end of life and the expression of grief.
All physicians performing services at The Hospitals of Providence are independent practitioners and not agents or employees of the hospital. Except as expressly provided herein, there are other warranties, express or implied. The Hospitals of Providence disclaims any express, statutory or implied warranties, including but not limited to warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
24.The right of guardian, next of kin, or a legally authorized responsible person to exercise the rights delineated on your behalf, to the extent permitted by law. (Incompetent in accordance with the law or been found by their physician to be medically incapable of understanding the proposed treatment or procedure, or is unable to communicate wishes regarding treatment, or is a minor).
25.The right of your designated representative to participate in the discussion of ethical issues that arise in your care.
26.The right, when medically appropriate to be transferred or to refuse transfer to another facility.
27.The right to participate in the development and implementation of his or her plan of care; inpatient treatment/care plan, outpatient treatment/care plan and participate in the development and implementation of the discharge plan, and participate in the development and implementation of their pain management plan.
28.The right to be informed and consent to all experimental research studies, investigation, and clinical trails on human subjects if the hospital proposes to engage in experimental research studies which may affect your care or treatment. You have the right to refuse to participate in such research projects.
29.The right to, subject to patient’s consent, to receive visitors as patient designates, and the right to withdraw or deny such consent at any time. Where appropriate this right may be exercised by the patient’s representative. Sometimes, however, it may be necessary to restrict visitors, mail, telephone calls or other forms of communication as a component of care, when visitation may interfere with or hinder the care or treatment of patients; or the potential for exposure to infectious or hazardous materials place the patient or visitor at risk; or there are existing court orders restricting contact of which the hospital is aware; or there is disruptive, threatening, or violent behavior endangering the patient or hospital staff or, rest or privacy is needed to support the health of the patient. Communication restrictions will be explained in a language that you understand. All restrictions will be evaluated for their therapeutic effectiveness.
30.The right to receive pastoral care and other spiritual services.
31.The right to examine and receive an explanation of your hospital bill regardless of source of payment.
32.The right to know what hospital rules and regulations apply to your conduct as a patient.
33.The right to access protective and advocacy services.
34.The right to be informed of the purpose of the patient assessment data collection process.
35.The right to have any patient assessment information that is collected remains confidential and secure.
36.The right to be informed that the patient assessment information will not be disclosed to others except for legitimate purposes allowed by the Federal Privacy Act and Federal and State regulations.
37.The right to refuse to answer patient assessment data questions.
38. The right to see, review and request changes on the patient assessment instrument and other protected health information.
39.The right to receive the visitors designated by the patient, including but not limited to a spouse, a domestic partner (including a same-sex domestic partner), another family member, or a friend. Also included is the right to withdraw or deny such consent at any time.
Patient Responsibilities
The care that you receive depends partially on your participation and actions as a patient in the hospital environment. Therefore, in addition to your rights as a patient, you have certain responsibilities as well. As your healthcare providers, we believe that you, as our patient, and/or your significant other(s) have the responsibility to:
1. Provide accurate and complete information concerning your present complaints, past illnesses, hospitalizations, medications and other matters relating to your health.
2.Report perceived risks in your care and unexpected changes in your condition to the physician(s) and other healthcare providers.
3.Report any perceived or identified safety issues related to your care or the physical environment to your physician(s) and other healthcare providers.
4. Ask questions when you do not understand what you have been told about your care, or what you are expected to do regarding your care.
5.Follow your treatment plan established by your physician, including the instructions of nurses and other health care professionals as they carry out your physician’s orders.
6. Participate in decisions regarding your medical care, including the planning and implementation of your plan of care.
7.Ensure the facility has a copy of your advance directive.
8.Accept responsibility for your actions should you refuse treatment or not follow your physician’s orders.
9. Assure that the financial obligations of your hospital care are fulfilled as promptly as possible.
10.Follow hospital policies and procedures.
11.Be considerate of the rights of other patients and hospital personnel.
12.Be respectful of your personal property and that of other persons in the hospital.
In the event of a concern/complaint/grievance regarding your rights listed here or a quality of care issue, you may submit in the following manner:
1.Contact the unit or department director.
2.Write your concern/complaint/grievance and submit to the unit or department director or Administration
3.You may also (in addition or instead) contact the following agencies:
Texas Department of Health (TDH) Licensing and Compliance Division at 1-888-973-0022 or the Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services Abuse Hotline at 1-800-252-5400
Do you have a complaint about the quality of care at this Joint Commission-accredited health care organization? The Joint Commission wants to know about it. Send your complaint by mail, fax or e-mail.
E-Mail: [email protected]
Fax: Office of Quality Monitoring
630-792-5636
Mail: Office of Quality Monitoring
The Joint Commission
One Renaissance Boulevard
Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181