Patient Rights and Responsibilities

Purpose:

To ensure that all employees of LSUHSC Huey P. Long Medical Center are familiar and in compliance with the Patients' Bill of Rights and Patient Responsibilities.

A. Access to Care

Patients are to be given access to treatment in accordance with their needs or as medically indicated, regardless of race, creed, sex, national origin, religion, or source of payment for care.

B. Respect and Dignity

The patient has the right to be treated with dignity and respect at all times.

C. Privacy and Confidentiality

The patient has the right, within the law, to personal privacy and information privacy, including:

• The right to refuse to see or talk to anyone who is not employed by the hospital and/or directly involved in their care.
• The right to wear appropriate personal clothing and religious or other symbolic items, as long as they do not get in the way of diagnostic procedures or treatment.
• The right to privacy when talking to or being examined by health care providers. This includes the right to have a person of one's own sex present during certain parts of a physical examiniation, treatment, or procedures performed by a health professional of the opposite sex; and the right not to remain undressed any longer than is needed.
• The right to expect that any discussions or consultations will be done in private, and that people not directly involved in this care will not be present without his/her permission.
• The right to have his/her medical records read only by people directly involved in his/her treatment or the monitoring of its quality, and by other people only with his/her written approval or that of a legal representative.
• The right to expect that all communications and other records about his/her care, including the source of payment for treatment, to be treated as confidential.
• The right to ask to be transferred to another room if another patient or visitors in the room are disturbing him/her in an unreasonable manner.
• The right to be placed in protective privacy when considered necessary for personal safety.

D. Personal Safety and Security

The patient has the right to recieve health care in a safe environment. If a problem comes up regarding patient care, a complaint can be made and will be addressed in a timely manner. The patient has a right to report unresolved patient care and safety issues within the hospital to The Joint Commission.

E. Identity

The patient has a right to know the name and professional role of people providing care/services to him/her, and to know which doctors or other practitioner is primarily responsible for their care. This includes the patient's right to know of any professional relationship between people who are treating the patient, as well as the relationship of the hospital to any other health care or educational institutions involved in his/her care. Participation by patients in cliincal training programs or in the gathering of data for research purposes should be voluntary.

F. Information

The patient has a right to get complete and current information concerning the diagnosis, treatment, and any known prognosis (outcomes) from the health care provider who is primarily responsible for his/her care. This information should be given in terms the patient can reasonably be expected to understand. The patient or his/her legal representative has a right to participate in health care decisions.

G. Communication

The patient has a right to be in contact with people outside the hospital by mail, telephone calls or visitors. If there must be any restrictions (other than legal reasons), they will be evaluated for therapeutic usefulness and the patient and/or the family will be involved in the decision.

When the patient does not speak or understand English, he/she should have access to an interpreter.

H. Consent

The patient has the right to be reasonably involved in making decisions about his/her health care. Information provided should include a clear and concise explanation of his/her condition and of all proposed procedures, including the possibility of any risk, to include risk of death, serious side effects, and problems related to recovery and the procedure. Once this information and the name of the care provider approving and performing the procedure is given, informed consent must be given by the patient or their legal representative before the procedure can be done. When alternative medical treatments exist, the patient shall also be told about these treatment options.

I. Refusal of Treatment

The patient may refuse treatment (as allowed by law). When refusal of treatment by the patient or their legal representative prevents the provider from giving appropriate care in accordance with ethical and professional standards, the provider may refuse to continue providing medical care to this patient after giving the patient or their legal representative reasonable notice.

J. Transfer and Continuity of Care

A patient may not be transferred to another facility unless he/she has been told the reason the transfer is needed and the alternatives to such a transfer, and unless the transfer is acceptable to the facility. The patient has the right to be informed by the responsible health care provider or their delegate of any continuing health care requirements following discharge from the hospital.

K. Ethical Considerations

The patient has the right to have ethical issues addressed. The patient has the right to advanced medical directives stating the care he/she wished to recieve if unable to make their own decisions, or to name someone to make decisions on their behalf. The patient has the right to compassionate end of life care. The patient has the right to have spiritual needs addressed.

L. Patient Responsibilities

A patient has the responsibility to provide, to the best of his/her knowledge, accurate and complete information about present problem(s), past illnesses, hospitalization, medications, and other matters relating to his/her health. The patient has the responsiblity to tell his/her primary health care provider about any unexpected changes in his/her condition.

A patient is responsible for following the treatment plan recommended by his/her primary health care provider. This may include all orders written by the health care provider(s), and following hospital rules and regulations. The patient is responsible for keeping appointments and, when he/she is unable to do so for any reason, to let the responsible practitioner/clinc staff or hospital know ahead of time.

M. Hospital Charges

Regardless of the source of payment for his/her care, the patient has the right to ask and receive an itemized, detailed explanation of the total bill for services rendered. The patient is responsible for assuring that the bills for his/her health care are paid as soon as possible.