Patient Rights & Responsibilities

Rights

While you are receiving services in the hospital, your rights include the following.

Responsibilities

You also have responsibilities as a patient.

You have the right to appropriate pain assessment and management.

You have the right to be well-informed about your illness, possible treatments and likely outcome, and to discuss this information with your doctor. You have the right to know the names and roles of people treating you.

You have the right to consent to or refuse a treatment, as permitted by law, throughout your hospital stay. If you refuse a recommended treatment, you are entitled to other appropriate care and services that the hospital provides or transfer to another hospital.

You have the right to have advance directives such as a living will or healthcare proxy. These documents express your choices about your future care or name someone to decide if you cannot speak for yourself. It is the policy of UT Medical Center to honor advance directives.

You have a right to privacy and security. The hospital, your doctor and others caring for you will protect your privacy as much as possible.

You have the right to expect that treatment records are confidential, unless you have given permission to release information or reporting is required or permitted by law. When the hospital releases records to other parties such as insurers it emphasizes that the records are confidential.

You have the right to review your medical records and to have the information explained, except when restricted by law.

You have the right to expect that the hospital will give you necessary health services to the best of its ability. Treatment, referral or transfer may be recommended. If transfer is recommended or requested, you will be informed of risks, benefits and alternatives. You will not be transferred until the other institution agrees to accept you.

You have the right to reasonable continuity of care during hospitalization and appropriate follow-up after your discharge.

You have the right to be told of realistic care alternatives when hospital care is no longer appropriate.

You have the right to ask and be informed about the existence of business relationships among the hospital, educational institutions, other healthcare providers or payers.

You have the right to consent or decline to take part in research involving your care. If you choose not to take part, you will receive the most effective care the hospital otherwise provides.

You have a right to know about hospital rules that affect you and your treatment.

You have the right to be informed about charges and payment methods.

You have the right to know about the availability of hospital resources such as patient representatives, patient grievance process or ethics committees that can help you resolve problems and questions about your hospital stay and care.

You have the right to access protective services, which include guardianship and advocacy services, conservatorship and adult and child protective services.

You have a responsibility to cooperate with staff efforts to assess and manage your pain as safely as possible.

You are responsible for providing information about your health including past illnesses, hospital stays and use of medicine. You are responsible for asking questions when you do not understand information or instructions.

If you believe you cannot follow through with your treatment, you are responsible for telling your doctor.

If you have a written advance directive, you should provide a copy to the hospital, your family and your doctor. You are responsible to think about your wishes for care at the end of life and to communicate your wishes to your family as well as to caregivers.

You have a responsibility to accept those intrusions on your privacy that are necessary for providing care. You have a responsibility to respect the privacy of others. You are responsible for securing your own valuables.

You have a responsibility to be open and honest with caregivers. You have a responsibility to give permission for release of your records when this is necessary for coordinating your care or for arranging payment.

It is your responsibility to ask questions about anything you do not understand.

You have a responsibility to make reasonable requests for service.

You share the responsibility to arrange for continuity of care and appropriate follow-up.

Your health depends not just on your hospital care but, in the long-term, on the decisions you make in your daily life. You are responsible for recognizing the effect of lifestyle on your personal health.

You have a responsibility to make a reasonable evaluation of these relationships.

You have a responsibility to consider the benefits of involvement in any research that your doctor might propose.

You have a responsibility to read and follow hospital rules.

You are responsible for providing information for insurance and working with the hospital to arrange payment when needed.

You are responsible for making judicious use of hospital resources.

You are responsible for making judicious use of these services.