Patient Rights
The patient, family member or patient’s representative have the right to:
- Receive considerate and respectful care that is consistent with your personal values, beliefs and cultural practices.
- Receive care regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, ethnicity, age, disability, religious or educational background or ability to pay your bill.
- Exercise these rights while receiving care or treatment within the facility without coercion, discrimination or retaliation.
- Have a surrogate or patient representative (parent, legal guardian, person with medical durable power of attorney) exercise these rights when you, the patient, are incapable of doing so, without coercion, discrimination or retaliation.
- Be informed of these rights in advance of furnishing care or discontinuing care whenever possible.
- Receive care in a safe setting and secure environment.
- Be free from all forms of abuse or harassment.
- Be an equal partner in making decisions that arise during the course of care. If ethical questions should arise, contact the Ethics Committee by calling 263-2100.
- Have your doctor and health care providers discuss your diagnosis/treatment plan in a language that you can understand.
CONFIDENTIALITY/PRIVACY SAFETY:
- Have your personal privacy respected.
- Confidentiality of your medical record and information about your care
- Access the information contained in your medial record within a reasonable time and to have the information in the medical record explained to you by qualified staff or your doctor.
PARTICIPATE IN CARE DECISIONS:
- Be fully informed of in advance of care or treatment, and to actively participate in, decisions regarding planning of your care/treatment.
- Consent or refuse treatment after being adequately informed of the benefits and risks of, and the alternatives to, treatment that the law allows. You will be told how the refusal could affect your condition.
- Be fully informed of and to consent or refuse to participate in any unusual, experimental or research project without compromising your access to services.
- Know the professional status of any person providing care and the reasons for any change in the professional staff who are responsible for your care.
- Be informed of your continuing health care needs following your discharge from the health center and of the reason for your transfer either within or outside the facility.
- Be free from unnecessary use of physical or chemical restraints and/or seclusion as a means of coercion, convenience or retaliation.
- Exercise advance directive regarding decisions at the end of life in accordance with Federal and State Determination Act(s).
- Have your physician notified of your admission.
- Give informed consent for organ donation.
BILLING/BUSINESS ISSUES:
- Be informed of the relationships of the organization to other persons or organizations who participate in giving care.
- Receive or have access to the cost, itemized when possible, of services rendered within a reasonable period of time. Receive an explanation of your bill independent of how you are paying.
- Be informed of the source of the facility’s reimbursement for services, and of any limitations that may be placed upon your care.
PATIENT RESPONSIBILITIES:
As a patient you are expected to:
- Give correct and complete information to your health care provider about your illness, any past illnesses and anything else about your health.
- Inform caregivers of specific needs with regard to your personal values and beliefs.
- Follow the treatment plan recommended by your doctor. If you choose not to follow the suggested treatments or instructions, you are responsible for any consequences.
- Provide a copy of an Advance Directive, if you have one.
- Respect the rights of other patients and health center staff.
- Pay your hospital bill promptly. If you need help with your bill, please call the Patient Financial Counselor at 263-6651 about a payment plan.
COMMITMENT TO PROMPT RESOLUTION OF CONCERNS:
You have the right to mechanisms to resolve potential, or actual, issues arising in supporting patient’s rights. The health center supports your right to have prompt resolution of concerns about your care. If you have a concern, we encourage you to:
- Speak first to the staff member or the supervisor of the area.
- If after speaking to the staff member or supervisor, you feel your concern is not taken care of, you may:
- Call the Quality Improvement line by dialing extension 6624, or
- Place your concern in writing addressed to the Quality Improvement Department at Memorial Hospital.
If your concern is not taken care of by the above steps, you can call the Hospital and Medical Programs Bureau of Adult and Child Care at 785-296-0127 or the Peer Review Organization at 1-800-432-0770.
COMMITMENT TO MANAGING PAIN EFFECTIVELY:
The patient has the right to have pain treated as effectively as possible.
As a patient you can expect:
- Pain to be treated as effectively as possible.
- Pain to be regularly and frequently assessed by your own report or, if that is not possible, by the best means available.
- Reported pain to be believed.
- Information about pain and pain relief measures.
- A quick response to your reports of pain.
- Changes to your plan of care if your pain is not adequately relieved.
Memorial Hospital expects that you will:
- Ask your doctor or nurse what to expect.
- Discuss pain relief options with your doctors and nurses.
- Ask for pain relief drugs when pain first begins.
- Help the doctor or nurse measure your pain.
- Tell your doctor or nurse about any pain that will not go away.
COMMITMENT TO SAFETY:
We continue to work on ways to increase your safety. To do that we ask your help:
- Please wear the ID bracelet at all times.
- Before anyone draws blood or gives you medication, the employee should look at your ID bracelet. If the employee does not look at your ID bracelet, please remind them this is important for your safety.
