KNOW YOUR RIGHTS AS A HOSPITAL PATIENT

All images from: Free Patient Clipart

If animals have rights, then more so with people going to the hospital for treatment. However, some people do not know about these rights because of misinformation.
Below are these basic patient rights in condensed form as endorsed by The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO)


The Patient's Bill of Rights are now being adopted by many hospitals internationally.

PATIENT'S BILL OF RIGHTS:

The patient has the right to:

1. 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.

2. Considerate, respectful care.

3. Confidentiality of all communications and other records pertaining to the patient's care.

4. Expect that any discussion or consultation involving the patient's case will be conducted discreetly and that individuals not directly involved in the case will not be present without patient permission.

5. Expect reasonable safety congruent with the hospital practices and environment.

6. Know the identity and professional status of individuals providing service and to know which physician or other practitioner is primarily responsible for his or her care.

7. Obtain from the practitioner complete and current information about diagnosis, treatment, and any known prognosis, in terms the patient can reasonably be expected to understand.

8. Reasonable informed participation in decisions involving the patient's health care. The patient shall be informed if the hospital proposes to engage in or perform human experimentation or other research/educational profits affecting his or her care or treatment. The patient has the right to refuse participation in such activity.

9. Consult a specialist at the patient's own request and expense.

10. Refuse treatment to the extent permitted by law.

11. Regardless of the source of payment, request and receive an itemized and detailed explanation of the total bill for services rendered in the hospital.

12. Be informed of the hospital rules and regulations regarding patient conduct

These rights are not to be abused however, there will always be an extraordinary case wherein one has to forgo them for some valid reasons.

Source : Tricare.osd.mil
medlib.med.utah.edu