Patient Rights & Responsibilities

Revised: November 2017

THE PATIENT HAS THE RIGHT:

  • To impartial access to treatment, regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, ethnicity, age, or handicap.
  •  To exercise his/her rights while receiving care or treatment in the hospital without coercion, discrimination or retaliation.
  •  To have a surrogate (parent, legal guardian, person with medical power of attorney) exercise the patent’s rights when the patient is incapable of doing so, without coercion, discrimination, or retaliation.
  • The right to participate in the development and implementation of his/her own plan of care.
  •  The patient or his/her representative has the right to make informed decisions regarding his/her care, be informed of his/her health status, be involved in care planning and treatment. and be able to request or refuse treatment. This right must not be construed as a mechanism to demand the provision of treatment or services deemed medically unnecessary or inappropriate.
  •  The right to formulate advance directives and to have hospital staff and practitioners who provide care in the hospital comply with these directives.
  •  The right to have a family member or representative of his/her choice and his/her own physician notified promptly of his/her admission to the hospital.
  •  The right to personal privacy.
  •  The right to receive care in a safe setting.
  •  The right to be free from all forms of abuse or harassment.
  • The right to the confidentiality of his/her clinical records.
  • The right to access information contained in his/her clinical records within a reasonable time frame. The hospital must not frustrate the legitimate efforts of individuals to gain access to their own medical records and must actively seek to meet these requests as quickly as its record keeping system permits.
  •  The right to be free from restraints of any form that are not medically necessary or are used as a means of coercion, discipline, convenience, or retaliation by staff.
  •  The right to be fully informed of and to consent or refuse to participate in any unusual, experimental or research project without compromising his/her access to services.
  •  The right to know the professional status of any person providing his/her care/services.
  •  The right to know the reasons for any proposed change in the Professional Staff responsible for his/her care.
  •  The right to know the reasons for his/her transfer either within or outside the hospital.
  •  The relationship(s) of the hospital to other persons or organizations participating in the provision of his/her care.
  •  The right to access to the cost, itemized when possible, of services rendered within a reasonable period of time.
  •  The right to be informed of the source of the hospital’s reimbursement for his/her services, and of any limitations which may be placed upon his/her care.
  •  Informed of the right to have pain treated as effectively as possible.
  •  To be informed of his/her visitation rights, including any clinical restrictions or limitation on such rights, in advance of furnishing patient care whenever possible.
  •  To be informed of the right, subject to his/her consent, to receive the visitors whom he/she designates, including, but not limited to, a spouse, a domestic partner (including a same sex domestic partner), another family members, or a friend, and his/her right to withdraw or deny such consent at any time.
  •  To not be restricted, limited, or otherwise denied visitation privileges on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability.
  •  To enjoy fully and equally visitation privileges consistent with patient preferences.
  •  To voice without recrimination any complaint or grievance regarding the care or services provided, to have that complaint or grievance reviewed and when possible, resolved. To lodge a complaint or grievance with the hospital call 618-548-3194. To lodge a complaint or grievance with the State agency, regardless of whether he/she has first used the hospital’s grievance process, call 1-800-252-4343, or submit to the Illinois Department of Public Health, 535 W. Jefferson Street, Springfield, IL 62761.

PATIENT’S RESPONSIBILITIES

  • A patient has the responsibility to provide to the best of his knowledge accurate and complete information about present complaints, past illnesses, hospitalizations, medications, and other matters relating to his health. He has the responsibility to report unexpected changes in his condition to the responsible practitioner. A patient is responsible for reporting whether he clearly comprehends a contemplated course of action and what is expected of him.
  •  A patient is responsible for following the treatment plan recommended by the practitioner primarily responsible for his care. This also includes following the instructions of nurses and allied health personnel as they carry out the coordinated plan of care, implement the responsible practitioner’s orders, and enforce the applicable hospital rules and regulations. The patient is responsible for keeping appointments, and when unable to do so for any reason, he should notify the responsible practitioner or the hospital.
  •  The patient is responsible for his actions if he refuses treatment or does not follow the practitioner’s instructions.
  •  The patient is responsible for not smoking in all areas of the hospital grounds.
  •  The patient is responsible for following hospital rules and regulations affecting care and conduct.
  •  The hospital works to provide care efficiently and fairly to all patients. You and your visitors are responsible for being considerate of the needs of other patients, staff, and the hospital. 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 on the decisions you make in your daily life. You are responsible for recognizing the effect of lifestyle on your personal health.
 

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