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At Pleasant Valley Hospital, we are committed to giving you the best care
without regard to race, color, religion, national origin or source of
payment, and without regard to disability. You should become an active
participant in your healthcare process. To do this, it is important that
you understand your rights and responsibilities. |
- You have the right
to receive respectful care.
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- You have the right
to relevant, current and understandable information concerning your
diagnosis, treatment and prognosis. Except in emergencies, when you
are unable to make decisions and the need for treatment is urgent, you
are entitled to request information related to the specific procedures
and/or treatments recommended, the risks involved, the possible length
of recuperation, and the medically reasonable alternatives.
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- You have the right
to know the identity of physicians, nurses and others involved in your
care and to know when those involved are students, residents or other
trainees. You also have the right to know the immediate and long-term
financial implications of treatment choices.
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- You have the right
to make decisions about the plan of care prior to and during the course
of treatment and to refuse a recommended treatment to the extent permitted
by law and hospital policy. In the case of such refusal, you are still
entitled to be informed of the medical consequences and to other appropriate
care and services that the hospital provides, or to transfer to another
hospital. That hospital, in turn, should notify you of any policy that
might affect your choice.
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- You have 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 with the expectation that the hospital will honor the intent of
that directive to the extent permitted by law and hospital policy. The
institution should advise patients of their rights under state law and
hospital policy, ask if the patient has an advance directive and, if
so, include it in the patient's records and make clear any policy that
may limit such an Advance Directive.
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- You have the right
to every consideration of privacy. Case discussion, consultation, examination
and treatment should be conducted so as to protect each patient's privacy.
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- You have the right
to expect that all communications and records pertaining to your care
will be kept confidential (except in cases such as suspected abuse and
public health hazards when reporting is permitted or required by law),
and that the hospital will emphasize the confidentiality of this information
when it releases it to any other parties entitled to review information
in these records.
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- You have the right
to review the records pertaining to your medical care and to have the
information explained or interpreted as necessary, except when restricted
by law.
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- You have the right
to expect that, within its capacity, the hospital will make reasonable
response to your request for medical care. 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
you have so requested, you may be transferred to another facility. The
institution to which you are to be transferred must first have accepted
you for transfer. You must also have the benefit of a complete explanation
of the need for, risks, benefits, and alternatives to such a transfer.
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- You have the right
to ask to be informed of the existence of business relationships among
the hospital, educational institutions, other health care providers,
or payers that may influence your treatment and care.
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- You have the right
to consent to or decline to participate in proposed research studies
or human experimentation affecting care and treatment or requiring direct
patient involvement, and to have those studies fully explained prior
to consent. If you decline to participate in research or experimentation,
you are entitled to the most effective care that the hospital can otherwise
provide.
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- You have the right
to ask to be informed of the existence of business relationships among
the hospital, educational institutions, other health care providers,
or payers that may influence your treatment and care.
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- You have the
right to expect reasonable continuity of care when appropriate and to
be informed by healthcare providers of available and realistic patient
care options when hospital care is no longer appropriate.
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- You have the
right to effective pain management.
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- You have the
right to know of hospital policies and practices that relate to
patient care, treatment and responsibilities and to be informed of available
resources for resolving disputes, grievances and conflicts available
in the institution. You also have the right to be informed of
the hospital's charges for services and available payment methods.
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- Provide accurate
information about past illnesses, hospitalizations, medications,
family history, life-style habits and other matters related to
health. Everything you tell your physician is, by law,
completely confidential, so don't hesitate to describe anything that
might be related to your condition. No matter how embarrassing
you might think it is, doctors have seen and heard a lot worse and
your honesty could ensure that the treatment is successful.
Make sure you
clearly understand your health status and the treatment plan. To
effectively make decisions about your care, you must request as much
additional information or clarification as you find necessary.- Inform your
physician if you anticipate any problems following the prescribed
treatment. If you tell your doctor in advance about scheduling
or other reasons why you might not be able to completely follow a
treatment plan, adjustments could be made to fit your needs.
But, if you just interrupt your treatment plan or don't follow it
precisely, your recovery could be compromised.
Recognize the
impact of your life-style on your personal health. Do not depend
solely on medicine to keep you healthy or cure you if you fall
ill. For example, if you go to your doctor with symptoms of
heart disease and a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet is recommended as
part of your treatment plan, you must recognize that there is only so
much medications can do if you refuse to change your habits. |
