Bon Secours St. Francis Health System

SECTION LINKS

• Advance Directives
• Patient Rights
  • Patient Rights
  • Derechos del Paciente
• Privacy Practices

Patient Rights

Patient Rights

Statement of Patient Rights and Responsibilities

Patient Rights



• You have the right to have the hospital promptly notify a family member/representative and your physician of your admission to the hospital.
• You have the right to considerate and respectful care, and to give us feedback about your care.
• You have the right to wear appropriate personal clothing and religious or other symbolic items, as long as they do not interfere with diagnostic procedures or treatments.
• You have the right to participate in the development and implementation of your plan of care, and to know the identity and professional status of those involved in your care, including if the care giver is a student or trainee or is professionally associated with other individuals or health care institutions involved in your care.
• You have to right to make informed decisions about your care. This includes being informed of your health status; being involved-prior to and during the course of treatment-in your care planning and treatment, being informed as to all proposed technical procedures and treatment-including the potential benefit(s) and potential drawback(s) or risk(s) as well as alternatives for care, being able to request or refuse medically appropriate treatment to the extent permitted by law and hospital policy, and to be informed of the medical consequences of such action.
• You have the right to refuse treatment and to be informed of the medical consequences of this action. If you refuse a recommended treatment, you will receive other medically needed, indicated, and available care.
• You have the right to change your mind about any procedure for which you have given your consent.
• You have the right to refuse to sign a consent form if you feel everything has not been explained to your satisfaction.
• You have the right to cross out any part of the consent form that you do not want applied to your care.
• You have the right to formulate an advance directive (such as a Living Will or Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care) with the expectation that the hospital staff and practitioners will honor the directive to the extent permitted by law and hospital policy.
• You have the right to expect that, within the hospital's capacity and policies, the hospital will make a reasonable response to any patient's request for appropriate and medically indicated care and services, including the management of pain. Our hospital is committed to according individuals impartial access to treatment or accommodations that are available or medically indicated regardless of race, creed, sex, national origin, or sources of payment for care.
• If requested or if medically appropriate and legally permissible, you may be transferred to another facility after being informed about the need for, risks, benefits, and alternatives to transfer. You will not be transferred until the other facility agrees to accept you.
• You have the right to personal privacy, to receive care in a safe setting, and to be free from all forms of abuse or harassment.
• You have the right to refuse to talk with anyone or see anyone not officially connected with the hospital, including visitors, or persons officially connected with the hospital but not directly involved in your care.
• You have the right to expect that any discussion or consultation involving your care will be conducted discreetly and that individuals not directly involved in your care will not be present without your permission.
• You have the right to be interviewed and examined in surroundings designed to assure reasonable visual and auditory privacy. This includes having the right to have a person of one's own sex present during certain parts of a physical examination, treatment or procedure performed by a health professional of the opposite sex and the right not to remain disrobed any longer than is required for accomplishing the medical purpose for which disrobing was needed.
• You have the right to access people outside of the hospital by means of visitors and by verbal and written communication.
• If you do not speak or understand the predominant language of the community, you should have access to an interpreter.
• You have the right to be free from restraints of any form that are not medically necessary. For behavior management, all patients have the right to be free from seclusion and restraints except in the case of an emergency, when there is an imminent risk of an individual physically harming himself/herself or others, and less restrictive interventions would be ineffective.
• You have the right to confidentiality of your clinical records, except in such cases as suspected abuse or public health hazards and/or when reporting is permitted or required by law.
• You have the right to have your medical record read only by individuals directly involved in your treatment or in the monitoring of quality. Other individuals can only read your medical record on your written authorization or that of your legally authorized representative.
• You have the right to except all communications and other records pertaining to your care, including the source of payment for treatment, to be treated as confidential.
• You have the right to access information contained in your clinical records within a reasonable time frame, and to have the information explained or interpreted as necessary, except when restricted by law.
• You have the right to know if this hospital has relationships with other health care facilities, educational institutions or other outside parties that may influence your care.
• You have the right to consent or decline to take part in research affecting your care. If you choose not to take part, you will receive the most effective care the hospital otherwise provides.
• You have the right to examine and receive an explanation of your bill, regardless of source of payment. You have the right to know about payment methods.
• You have the right to change physicians at your request and your expense, you have the right to consult with a medical specialist.
• You have the right to expect reasonable continuity of care when appropriate and to be informed of realistic care alternatives when hospital care is no longer appropriate.
• You have the right to be informed of hospital policies and practices that relate to your care, treatment and responsibilities.
• You have the right to inform your head nurse, physician, or patient representative of any dissatisfaction you may have in regards to your care at Bon Secours St. Francis Health System and expect that informing us of a complaint will not compromise your care now or in the future.
• You have the right to know about hospital resources, such as patient representatives, patient complaints and grievance processes, or ethics committees, that can help you promptly resolve problems and questions about your hospital stay and care. You may also expect to receive a response from the Hospital concerning any major complaint about your case upon request.
• You have the right to leave the Hospital.
• You have the right to receive care in a safe setting, free from abuse or harassment.

Patient Responsibilities



• You are responsible to know and follow the Hospital rules and regulations.
• You are responsible for providing information about your health, including past illnesses, hospital stays, and the use of medication including herbal and over-the-counter medications.
• You are responsible to report any changes in your condition to your physician, and the nursing staff.
• You are responsible for telling your physician if you believe you can not follow through with your treatment.
• You are responsible to give cooperation, and to follow the care prescribed or recommended for you by your physician, nurse, or allied health personnel.
• You are responsible for asking questions when you do understand information or instructions.
• You are responsible to accept the consequences of your actions if you refuse treatment or do not follow the physician's instructions.
• You are responsible to inform your physician if you subject to dizziness, vertigo, instability or any other behavior that could cause injury.
• You and your visitors are responsible for being considerate of the needs of other patients, staff, and the Hospital. This includes assisting in the control of noise, smoking and the number of visitors you receive. Smoking is not allowed at Bon Secours St. Francis Health System.
• You are responsible for providing information for insurance and for working with the Hospital to arrange payment, when needed.
• 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 life-style on your personal health.
• You are responsible to advise your head nurse, physician, or patient representative of any dissatisfaction you may have in regards to your care at the Hospital.
• You are responsible to accept your financial obligations associated with your care. Smoking is not allowed.