Patient Rights and Responsibilitites

Policy Statement:

The basic rights of human beings for independence of expression, informed decision, concern for personal dignity and human relationships, are always of great importance. During sickness, the presence or absence of these rights becomes a vital and often deciding factor in survival and recovery. Bluffton Regional Medical Center has adopted the following policies to provide its patients with the best possible medical care in the least intrusive manner.

The title "Patient Rights and Responsibilities" recognizes that Bluffton Regional shares with its patients the ability to provide quality medical care. Patients have rights which Bluffton Regional will respect. Patients also have responsibilities such as keeping us informed of symptoms, taking medication, etc., which are equally important to recovery. We must work together as patient and health care provider to preserve good health.

Patient Responsibilities:

1 Ask questions about anything you do not understand.

2 A patient has the responsibility to provide, to the best of his/her knowledge, accurate and complete information about present symptoms, past illnesses, hospitalizations, medications and other matters relating to his/her health.

3 A patient has the responsibility to report changes in his/her condition to Bluffton Regional staff. A patient is responsible to ask questions when not understanding care or what is expected of him/her.

4 A patient is responsible for following the treatment plan recommended by his/her physician. This may include following the instructions of nurses and other Bluffton Regional personnel as they carry out the coordinated plan of care, implement the physician's orders and enforce Bluffton Regional's rules and regulations. A patient is responsible for keeping appointments and, when he/she is unable to do so for any reason, for notifying the physician and Bluffton Regional.

5     A patient is responsible for the consequences of refusing treatment or failure to follow the physician's instructions.

6     A patient is responsible for assuring that the financial obligations for his/her health care are fulfilled as promptly as possible.

7     A patient is responsible for following Bluffton Regional rules and regulations affecting patient care and conduct.

8     A patient is responsible for being considerate of the rights of other patients and Bluffton Regional personnel and for his/her personal behavior in the control of noise and the number of visitors.

9     A patient is responsible for being respectful of the property of other persons and of Bluffton Regional.

10 A patient is responsible for giving proper legal instructions to Bluffton Regional concerning termination of ordinary or extraordinary life-prolonging procedures. These instructions may be in the form of a Durable Power of Attorney appointing a health care representative, living wills under Indiana law, psychiatric advanced directive or in other forms as discussed and approved with an attending physician. Patients are encouraged to seek advice of counsel concerning their legal rights in such situations.

Patient Rights:

1 A patient shall have the right to request treatment and services that are available and medically indicated regardless of race, religion, sex, ethnicity, age or handicap.

2 A patient has the right to considerate, respectful care at all times and under all circumstances, to preserve a positive self-image and personal dignity. Cultural, psychosocial, spiritual and personal values, beliefs and preferences will be respected. Pastoral and other spiritual services will be accommodated when available.

3 A patient has the right, within the law, to personal and informational privacy, as manifested by the following rights:

      a.      To refuse to talk with or see anyone not officially connected with Bluffton Regional, including visitors or persons officially connected with but not directly involved in his/her care.

      b. To wear appropriate personal clothing and religious or other symbolic items, as long as they do not interfere with diagnostic procedures or treatments. Sufficient storage space is provided to meet

personal needs.

      c.      To personal privacy. "The right to personal privacy" means that patients have privacy during personal hygiene activities (e.g., toileting, bathing, dressing), during medical/nursing treatments and when requested as appropriate.

      To be interviewed and examined in surroundings designed to assure reasonable visual and auditory privacy. This includes the right to have a person of the same sex present during certain parts of a physical examination, treatment or procedure performed by a health professional of the opposite sex and the right not to remain disrobed any longer than is required for accomplishing the medical purpose for which the patient was asked to disrobe.

      People not involved in the care of the patient should not be present while he/she is being examined or treated, nor should video or other electronic monitoring/recording methods be used while he/she is being examined without his/her consent. Privacy should be afforded when the physician or other staff visit the patient to discuss clinical care issues.

      d.      To access health information, request amendments to and receive an accounting of disclosures as permitted under applicable law, within a reasonable time frame.

      e.      To have his/her medical record used only by individuals directly involved in his/her treatment, or for payment or health care operations. Please see the Notice of Privacy Practice.

      f.      To expect all communications and other records pertaining to health information, including the source of payment for treatment, to be treated as confidential.

      g.      To request a transfer to another room if another patient or visitor in the room is unreasonably disturbing him/her.

      h.      To be placed in protective

privacy when considered necessary for

personal safety.

      i.      To be informed how medical information about him/her may be used and disclosed, which is done through distribution of a Notice of Privacy Practice.

      j.      To receive, upon request, accommodations for private telephone conversations, based on space and appropriateness of needs and treatment services.

4 A patient has the right to receive care in a safe setting and to be free from all forms of abuse, harassment, neglect and exploitation.

5 A patient has the right to know the identity and professional status of individuals providing service to him/her and to know which physician or other practitioner is primarily responsible for his/her care. This includes the patient's right to know of the existence of any professional relationship among individuals who are treating him/her, as well as the relationship to any health care or educational institutions involved in his/her care. Participation by patients in clinical training programs or in the gathering of data for research purposes is voluntary and requires informed consent.

6 A patient has the right to obtain, from his/her physician, information or clinical record concerning diagnosis, treatment and prognosis including unanticipated outcomes within a reasonable period of time and be involved in their care planning, including pain management and treatment. A surrogate decision-maker, as allowed by law, is identified when a patient cannot make decisions about care, treatment and services. The family, as allowed by law, with permission of the patient or surrogate, is involved in care, treatment and services decisions.

7 A patient has the right of access to people outside Bluffton Regional by means of visitors, telephone, mail and by verbal and written communication. When a patient does not speak or understand the predominant language of the community, Bluffton Regional will attempt to provide access to an interpreter. Special communication needs will be addressed.

8 A patient has the right to participate in the development and implementation of his/her plan of care and to reasonable, informed participation in decisions involving his/her health care. To the degree possible, this will be based on a clear, concise explanation of his/her condition and of all proposed technical procedures, including the possibilities of any risk of mortality or serious side effects, problems related to recuperation, and probability of success. A patient will not be subjected to any procedure without his/her voluntary, competent and understanding consent or the consent of his/her legally authorized representative. A patient shall be informed of medical alternatives and risks, benefits and side effects related to the alternatives. A patient

will be told who is responsible for authorizing and performing the

procedures or treatment, and likelihood of achieving the goals.

The patient has the right to be informed of any event that is within the control of a provider that results in harm to the patient and requires a new or modified physician order for management of the patient's medical care. The notification of a significant medical error will be done by the LIP and occur with emphathy and compassion.  Any unanticipated outcomes of care, treatment or service will be discussed with the patient and/or family.

9   A patient has the right to participate in ethical questions that arise in the course of his/her care including issues of conflict resolution and refusing or foregoing life-sustaining treatment. The patient must be given notice of the rights afforded to him/her by the provider agreement, including the right to an advance directive and notice of non-coverage and to have hospital staff and practitioners who provide care in the hospital comply with these directions. A patient, patient's family or designated decision maker may request an ethics consultation through any of the caregivers (physician, nurse, social worker or chaplain).  An Ethics Committee has been established to develop and review policies in patient care ethics, and to assist caregivers, patients and families in ethical decision-making.

10 A patient, at his/her own request and expense, has the right to

consult with a specialist or request a

second opinion.

11 Patients have the right to pain

management and will be assessed for pain by providers educated in managing pain.

12 A patient may refuse treatment to the extent permitted by law. When refusal of treatment by a patient or his/her legally authorized representative prevents appropriate care in accordance with professional standards, the relationship with the patient may be terminated upon reasonable notice.

13 A patient may not be transferred to another facility or organization unless he/she has received a complete explanation of the need for the transfer and of the alternatives to such a transfer and unless the transfer is acceptable to the other facility or organization. A patient has the right to be informed by his/her physician, or his/her designee, of any continuing health care requirements following discharge from Bluffton Regional.

14 Regardless of the source of payment for his/her care, a patient

has the right to request and receive an itemized and detailed explanation of his/her total bill for services rendered at Bluffton Regional.

15 A patient has the right to be

free from any form of restraint (physical or drug restraint) that is not medically necessary or is used as a means of coercion, discipline, convenience or retaliation by staff. A restraint is only used in an emergency situation to ensure physical safety.

16 A patient has the right to access protective and advocacy services.

17 A patient has the right to a signed consent before any recording or filming is made for purposes other than the identification, diagnosis or treatment of the patient.

18 Patient rights are our top priority.  Anyone who feels that personal rights have been violated, should contact the operator and request that Social Services be paged or call the Vice President of Customer Service at ext. 3116. We will investigate each complaint/grievance promptly and discuss the results of this investigation with the complaintant. Any quality of care issues will be addressed in writing. Privacy complaints may be filed either with the Secretary of the Department of Health & Human Services or with Bluffton Regional Medical Center. Please refer to the Notice of Privacy Practice for more details. In no cases will retaliatory action be taken against a person who files a complaint.

Contact Information

Administrator

(260) 919-3103

Office of Civil Rights

U.S. Dept. of Health and

Human Services

330 Independence Avenue, S.W.

Washington, D.C. 20201

Indiana State

Department of Health

(317) 233-1325

Joint Commission

(800) 994-6610