At the Patton Law Practice in Scottsdale, Arizona, we know that the better you understand your own rights and responsibilities as a patient, the better your chances of avoiding medical errors.
Patient Rights
As a health care patient, you have the right to:
- Be informed about the care you will receive
- Receive all information about your care in your language
- Make decisions about your care, including refusing care
- Know the names of the caregivers who are treating you
- Safe health care
- Have your pain treated
- Know when something goes wrong with your care
- Get an up-to-date list of all your current medications
- Be listened to
- Be treated with courtesy and respect
- Receive considerate and respectful care
- Be well-informed about your illness, possible treatments and likely outcome, and the right to discuss this information with your doctor
- Know the names and roles of people treating you
- Consent to or refuse treatment, as permitted by law, throughout your hospital stay. If you refuse a recommended treatment, you have a right to other necessary and available care
- Expect that a family member or representative and your physician will be notified promptly of your admission to the hospital
- Have your pain assessed and managed when you are admitted, and throughout your hospitalization
- Create an advance directive such as a living will or health care proxy — documents that express your choices regarding future care or that name someone to make decisions if you cannot speak for yourself. You should provide copies to the hospital, your doctor and your family
- Know that your privacy will be protected as much as possible by the hospital, your doctor and others caring for you
- Expect that treatment records are confidential unless you have given permission to release information or reporting is required or permitted by law; and that when the hospital releases records to others, such as insurers, it emphasizes that the records are confidential
- Review your medical records and to have the information explained, except when restricted by law
- Access an internal grievance process and also to appeal to an external agency
- Receive care in a safe setting, free from abuse or harassment
- Expect that the hospital will give you necessary health services to the best of its ability; that treatment, referral or transfer may be recommended and you will be informed of the risks, benefits and alternatives; and that you will not be transferred until the other institution agrees to accept you
- Know if your hospital has relationships with outside parties that may influence your treatment and care, such as relationships with educational institutions, other health care providers or insurers
- Consent or decline to take part in research affecting your care, and if you choose not to take part, that you will receive the most effective care the hospital otherwise provides
- Be free from restraints or seclusion imposed as a means of coercion, discipline, convenience or retaliation by staff
- Be told of realistic care alternatives when hospital care is no longer appropriate
- Know about hospital rules that affect you and your treatment and about charges and payment methods
- Know about hospital resources, such as patient representatives or ethics committees, that can help you resolve problems and questions around your hospital stay and care
In addition to understanding these rights, it is important to ask your medical provider or facility for written information about your rights as a patient.
Patient Responsibilities
As a patient, you have a responsibility to:
- Be honest about matters that relate to you as a patient
- Attempt to understand your problems
- Provide medical staff with accurate and complete information about present complaints, past illnesses, hospitalizations, medications and other matters pertaining to your health
- Report any perceived risks in your care or unexpected changes in your condition to those responsible for your care and welfare
- Follow the care, service or treatment plan developed for you
- Ask questions when you do not understand or have concerns about your plan of care
- Inform the staff of your pain management needs and report changes in any those needs
- Understand the consequences of the treatment alternatives and of not following your plan of care
- Ask questions when you do not understand information or instructions.
- Tell your doctor if you believe you cannot follow through with your treatment
- Be considerate of the needs of other patients, staff and the hospital
- Provide insurance information and work with the hospital to arrange payment, when needed
- Recognize the effect of lifestyle on your personal health
- Attend to your health and well-being if the recommended treatment is not followed or is refused
What is "informed consent"?
Informed consent means that your health care providers have talked to you about your treatment and its risks, as well as about options to treatment and what can happen if you are not treated.
What happens if something goes wrong during treatment or with my care?
If something goes wrong, you have a right to an explanation and that explanation should be made in a reasonable amount of time.
