PATIENT RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The patient, family member, or patient's representative have the right to:

RECEIVE CARE/PARTICIPATE IN CARE DECISIONS

• Exercise rights while receiving care or treatment in the hospital without coercion, discrimination, or retaliation.
• Receive considerate and respectful care that is consistent with their personal values, beliefs and cultural practices.
• Impartial access to treatment, regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, ethnicity, age, handicap, disability, religious or educational background, or ability to pay their bill.
• Be fully informed of in advance of care or treatment and to actively participate in, decisions regarding planning or care/treatment.
• Be informed of rights in advance of furnishing care or discontinuing care or discontinuing care whenever possible.
• Be an equal partner in making decisions that arise during the course of care.  If ethical questions should arise, contact a nurse or physician.  When a conflict of values occurs between the physician and patient, family, or patient's representative regarding the decision to withhold or with draw treatment, any party can seek the advice of the health center's Ethics Committee or request a second opinion.
• Participate in the development and implementation of the treatment/care plan.

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION:

• Receive information that is understandable.
• Have effective communication, including having the doctor and health care providers discuss diagnosis/treatment plan in understandable language.
• Have a family member or representative of his or her choice and his or her own physician notified promptly of his or her admission to the hospital.
• Know the professional status of any person providing care.
• Know the reasons for any change in the professional staff who are responsible for care.

INFORMED CONSENT

• Have a surrogate or patient representative (parent, legal guardian, person with medical durable power of attorney) exercise the patient's rights when the patient is incapable of doing so, without coercion, discrimination or retaliation.  A "Patient's Representative" means the agent designated by the patient under legally executed "Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care Decisions" or, if none, and, if the patient is incompetent, in order of priority, such patient's (1) spouse; (2) adult children; (3)parents; (4) adult brother and/or sister; or (5) other close relative or friend who have acted in the role as a patient's caregiver.  If the above persons cannot or will not act as the patient's representative or, if such persons cannot agree or act unreasonably, a court appointment or court authority for approval of actions through the Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services may be necessary.
• Make informed decision regarding care, and be involved in care planning and treatment.
• Be informed of health status, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment.
• Be informed of circumstances when treatment is considered futile, medically unnecessary or inappropriate.
• Consent, request, or refuse treatment after being adequately informed of the benefits and risks of, and the alternatives to, treatment that the law allows.  Be told how the refusal could affect condition.  This right must not be construed as a mechanism to demand the provision of treatment or services deemed medically unnecessary or inappropriate.
• Be fully informed of and to consent or refuse to participate in any unusual, experimental or research project without compromising access to services.  If patient participates as a research subject in a clinical trial involving human subjects, he or she can expect they will be protected and their rights respected.
• Informed consent of donation of organs and tissue.

SAFE/SECURE ENVIRONMENT

• Environment that preserves dignity and contributes to a positive self image.
• Receive care in a safe setting and secure environment.
• Be free from all forms of abuse or harassment.
• Be free from sexual, verbal, physical and mental abuse, corporal punishment, and exploitation.
• Be free from restraint or seclusion, of any form, imposed as a means of coercion, discipline, convenience, or retaliation by staff.  Restraint or seclusion may only be imposed to ensure the immediate physical safety of the patient, a staff member, or others and must be discontinued at the earliest possible time.
• To access protective and advocacy services.

ADVANCE DIRECTIVES

• Formulate advance directives and to have hospital staff and practitioners who provide care in the hospital comply with these directives.  Community education on advance directives is on the website at www.srhc.com.
• Expect that the hospital will not condition the provision of care or otherwise discriminate against an individual based on whether or not the individual has executed an advance directive.
• Exercise advance directive regarding decisions at the end of life in accordance with Federal and State determination Act(s).

DISCHARGE PLANNING:

• Request assistance with discharge planning.
• Participate in the development and implementation of discharge plan.
• Be informed of continuing health care needs following discharge from the health center and of the reason for transfer either within or outside the facility.
• Receive copy of beneficiary discharge rights, notice of non-coverage rights, and notice of the beneficiary right to appeal premature discharge.  Prior to discharge receive a document titled: AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM MEDICARE ABOUT YOUR RIGHTS.

PROMPT RESOLUTION OF CONCERNS:

The patient has the right to mechanisms to resolve potential, or actual, issues arising in supporting patient's rights.  The health center supports the right to have prompt resolution of concerns about your care.  If you have a concern, we encourage you to:

1. Speak first to the staff member or the supervisor of the area.
   If you still have concerns after speaking to the staff member or supervisor, you may:
2. Call the Care More Coordinator by calling extension 6794, or
3. Place your concern in writing and address it to the Care More Coordinator at Salina Regional Health Center.

If your concern is not taken care of you can call the Hospital and Medical Programs Bureau of Adult and Child Care at (785) 296-0127 or the State Peer Review Organization at 1-800-432-0407.  You may also use this number if you want to discuss quality of care issues, coverage decisions, and appeal a premature discharge.

CONFIDENTIALITY/PRIVACY:

• Personal privacy. 
• Confidentiality of medical record and information about care.
• Access the information contained in the medical record within a reasonable time.  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 patient must be allowed to inspect and obtain a copy of their health information that is held by providers.  Providers must not withhold information except under the following circumstances:  psychotherapy notes, correctional facility health records when potential harm may occur, the potential danger of access to the life of physical safety of the individual or others is suspected, confidentially gleaned from a source other than the patient, information collected  during the course of research for which patient has consented, protected CLIA information, the information is compiled for a civil, criminal, or administrative proceeding, the request is made by an authorized individual but it is determined that access may cause harm to the patient or others.
• Have the information in the medical record explained to them by a qualified staff or their doctor.

MANAGING PAIN EFFECTIVELY

• Participate in the development and implementation of a pain management plan.
• Have pain treated as effectively as possible.
• Have your pain regularly and frequently assessed.

BILLING/BUSINESS ISSUES:

• Be informed of the relationships of the organization to other persons or organizations who participate in the provision of his/her care.
• Have access to the cost, itemized when possible, of services rendered within a reasonable period of time.  Receive an explanation of their bill independent of how they are paying.
• Be informed of the source of the hospital's reimbursement for his/her services, and of any limitations that may be placed upon his/her care.
• Bring any business ethics concerns to the attention of the compliance officer by calling extension 7848.

PATIENT RESPONSIBILITIES:

As a patient you are expected to:

• Provide a copy of Advance Directive(s) so that the directive may be honored.
• Give correct and complete information about your illness, any past illnesses, current medications.
• Participate in the plan of care.  Inform caregivers of specific needs, including treatment desires, personal values and beliefs that might alter the plan of care.
• 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.
• Inform caregivers when pain is not relieved or treatment is not effective.
• Respect the rights of other patients and health center staff.
• Pay your hospital bill promptly.  If you need help with your bill, call patient financial services at 452-6299 about a payment plan.
• When the health center cannot meet the request of need for care because of a conflict with its mission or philosophy or incapacity to meet the patient's needs or request, you may request to be transferred to another facility when medically permissible.