Patient Rights & Responsibilities

Responsibilities:

• The hospital shall inform each patient, or when appropriate, the patient’s representative (as allowed under State law) of the patient’s rights, in advance of furnishing or discontinuing patient care whenever possible
• Prompt resolution of patient grievances will be addressed by Administration. Each patient will be informed of whom to contact to file a grievance.
• The hospital’s Board of Trustees approves and is responsible for the effective operation of the grievance process. The Board of Trustees reviews and resolves grievances, unless it delegates the responsibility in writing to a grievance committee.

Discussion:

The basic right of human beings for independence of expression, decision, action and concern for personal dignity and human relationships are always of great importance. During sickness, however, the presence or absence of these rights becomes a vital deciding factor in survival and recovery. It becomes a prime responsibility for hospitals to endeavor to assure that these rights are preserved for their patients.

The patients shall be accorded impartial access to treatment or accommodations that are available or medically indicated regardless of race, creed, sex, national origin, sexual orientation or sources of payment for care.

The following are basic rights for patients:

• The patient has the right to participate in the development and implementation of his or her plan of care.
• The patient or his/her representative (as allowed under State law) has the right to make informed decisions regarding his or her care. The Patient’s rights include being informed of his/her health status, being involved in care planning and treatment and being able to request or refuse treatment. This right is not construed as a mechanism to demand the provision of treatment or services deemed medically unnecessary or inappropriate.
• The patient has the right to formulate advance directives and to have hospital staff and practitioners who provide care in the hospital comply with these directives. (See Advanced Directive policy)
• The patient has 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 patient has the right to personal privacy.
• The patient has the right to receive care in a safe setting.
• The patient has the right to be free from all forms of abuse or harassment.
• The patient has the right to the confidentiality of his/her clinical records
• The patient has the right to access information contained in his/her clinical records within a reasonable time frame.
• All patients have the right to be free from physical or mental abuse and corporal punishment. (See Restraint policy)
• All patients have the right to 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.
• The patient has the right to safe implementation of restraint or seclusion by trained staff
• The patient has the right to be informed of the visitation policy of the hospital (See Visitation Policy)

The following are responsibilities of the patient:

• A patient has the responsibility to provide, to the best of his/her knowledge, accurate and complete information about present condition, hospitalizations, medications, and other matters relating to his/her health.
• The patient has the responsibility to report unexpected changes in his/her 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/her.
• A patient is responsible for following the treatment plan recommended by the practitioner primarily responsible for his care.

CONCERNS ABOUT YOUR CARE
If you have any concerns about the care you receive from our health system or your safety, you may contact the hospital’s management at (601) 426-4777 or the Office of the Regional Administrator Atlanta Federal Center, 61 Forsyth Street, SW, Suite 4T20, Atlanta, Georgia 30303-8909, or call 1-800-MEDICARE .