Your Rights
- Receive appropriate care, treatment and consideration
- Be treated with dignity and respect
- Participate actively in decisions regarding health care
- Receive full consideration of privacy during health care and treatment. Have confidential handling of all communications and records. Receive a reasonable response to any reasonable request
- Receive complete information about health condition, proposed treatment, and alternatives, including nontreatment or second opinion, in order to give “informed consent” or to refuse treatment
- Leave the hospital at any time, even against medical advice, unless you have a contagious disease
- Be informed about continuing health care requirements
Your Responsibilities
- Know and utilize basic first aid skills. Seek professional care when appropriate
- Cooperate with health care provider
- Make preferences known clearly. Keep personal and family records and share them with health care provider.
- Question the reason for the presence of anyone not directly involved in care
- Ask what information is public record and can be released without written permission
- Seek additional information if request not honored
- Refuse service from unidentified personnel
- Ask for clarification of anything not understood. Understand risks of treatment and nontreatment. Understand the intended effects of a prescribed drug, in addition to known side effects
- Sign “Leave the Hospital Against Medical Advice” form, if that is your decision
- Examine your bill. Ask for an explanation of care and treatment costs
- Accept responsibility for health care and recovery. Utilize community resources as needed
- Know your insurance plan and its coverage
- Tell your physician’s office staff if you have a change of address or insurance coverage