Rights as Patients
Bill of Rights:
- The patient has the right to considerate and respectful care.
- The patient has the right and is encouraged
to obtain from physicians and other direct caregivers relevant,
current, and understandable information about his or her diagnosis,
treatment, and prognosis.
- Except in emergencies when the patient lacks the ability to
make decisions and the need for treatment is urgent, the patient
is entitled to a chance to discuss and request information related
to the specific procedures and/or treatments available, the risks
involved, the possible length of recovery, and the medically
reasonable alternatives to existing treatments along with their
accompanying risks and benefits.
- The patient has the right to know the identity of physicians, nurses, and others involved in his or her care, as well as when those involved are students, residents, or other trainees. The patient also has the right to know the immediate and long-term financial significance of treatment choices insofar as they are known.
- The patient has the right to make decisions about the plan
of care before and during the course of treatment and to refuse
a recommended treatment or plan of care if it is permitted by
law and hospital policy. The patient also has the right to be
informed of the medical consequences of this action. In case
of such refusal, the patient is still entitled to appropriate
care and services that the hospital provides or to be transferred
to another hospital. The hospital should notify patients of any
policy at the other hospital that might affect patient choice.
- The patient has the right to have an advance directive (such as a living will, health care proxy, or durable power of attorney for health care) concerning treatment or designating a surrogate decision-maker and to expect that the hospital will honor that directive as permitted by law and hospital policy.
- Health care institutions must advise the patient of his or
her rights under state law and hospital policy to make informed
medical choices, must ask if the patient has an advance directive,
and must include that information in patient records. The patient
has the right to know about any hospital policy that may keep
it from carrying out a legally valid advance directive.
- The patient has the right to privacy. Case discussion, consultation,
examination, and treatment should be conducted to protect each
patient's privacy.
- The patient has the right to expect that all communications
and records pertaining to his/her care will be treated confidentially
by the hospital, except in cases such as suspected abuse and
public health hazards when reporting is permitted or required
by law. The patient has the right to expect that the hospital
will emphasize confidentiality of this information when it releases
it to any other parties entitled to review information in these
records.
- The patient has the right to review his or her medical records
and to have the information explained or interpreted as necessary,
except when restricted by law.
- The patient has the right to expect that, within its capacity
and policies, a hospital will make reasonable response to the
request of a patient for appropriate and medically indicated
care and services. The hospital must provide evaluation, service,
and/or referral as indicated by the urgency of the case. When
medically appropriate and legally permissible, or when a patient
has so requested, a patient may be transferred to another facility.
The institution to which the patient is to be transferred must
first have accepted the patient for transfer. The patient also
must have the benefit of complete information and explanation
concerning the need for, risks, benefits, and alternatives to
such a transfer.
- The patient has the right to ask and be told of the existence
of any business relationship among the hospital, educational
institutions, other health care providers, and/or payers that
may influence the patient's treatment and care.
- The patient has the right to consent to or decline to participate
in proposed research studies or human experimentation or to have
those studies fully explained before they consent. A patient
who declines to participate in research or experimentation is
still entitled to the most effective care that the hospital can
otherwise provide.
- The patient has the right to expect reasonable continuity of
care and to be informed by physicians and other caregivers of
available and realistic patient care options when hospital care
is no longer appropriate.
- The patient has the right to be informed of hospital policies
and practices that relate to patient care treatment, and responsibilities.
The patient has the right to be informed of available resources
for resolving disputes, grievances, and conflicts, such as ethics
committees, patient representatives, or other mechanisms available
in the institution. The patient has the right to be informed
of the hospital's charges for services and available payment
methods.
References:
www.cancer.org
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• More Resources on Cancer topics
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