Patient Bill of Rights

The patient has the right to:

The provision of health care services and available facilities equally accessible to all persons without bias related to race, creed, sex, nationality, age or origin of payment resources.
Information which provides the rules and regulations which apply to the role of the patient receiving health services.
Be in an environment to meet his/her needs and be cared for by health care providers that understand his/her developmental needs.
Expect reasonable safety in the hospital environment and hospital practices.
Receive an itemized statement and explanation of all charges for services provided.

REGARDING PRIVACY AND CONFIDENTIALITY

The patient has the right to:

Be cared for in a respectful and considerate manner with regard for his/her personal dignity, values and belief systems.
Privacy and confidentiality regarding both personal and informational data as pertains to his/her health care, including visual and auditory privacy during examinations or treatment, including interviews, consultation or discussion in regard to his/her health care, all communication, reports and medical records.
Request a transfer to another room if another patient or visitor in an adjacent room is unreasonably disturbing him/her by noise or other actions.

REGARDING CONSENT AND COMPLIANCE

The patient has the right to:

Participate in decisions that involve his/her health care based on clear, concise explanations of techniques, procedures, material risks, possible outcomes, and probability of success.
Not be subjected to any procedures without his/her voluntary, competent, and understanding consent, not excluding procedures or treatments which may be performed for research (except in regard to purely statistical data), experimentation, or educational benefit.
Refuse treatment within the boundaries provided by state laws. When such care and treatment are deemed appropriate by professional standards, non-consent by the patient may terminate the relationship of patient and health care provider.

REGARDING INFORMATION

The patient has the right to:

Know the identity and professional status of health care providers and the practitioner with primary responsibility for his/her care.
Complete and current information pertaining to his/her diagnosis, treatment, potential risks, expected outcomes, and alternatives which are related to care provided, and to explanations expressed in terms that can be reasonably understood by the patient.
Receive written information with regard to his/her rights under state law to accept or refuse treatment and make advance directives (Living Will, Durable Power of Attorney for Health care).
To communicate, verbally or in writing to people outside the hospital. If the patient does not speak or understand the predominant language of the community, he/she has the right to an interpreter, to the extent possible.
Express concerns to Administration or other appropriate persons regarding care and/or delivery of services. The hospital is responsible for ensuring that the patient’s care will not be compromised and that every effort will be made to respond to patient concerns as an opportunity to improve the quality of patient care and outcome. The hospital encourages the communication of concerns and provides a mechanism to do so via hospital personnel, physicians, and patient questionnaires received upon admission.

REGARDING PAIN MANAGEMENT

The patient has the right to:

Information about pain management and pain relief measures, staff committed to pain relief, a quick response to reports of pain, and pain management.

PATIENT RESPONSIBILITIES

Providing information. The individual is responsible for providing, to the best of his or her knowledge, accurate and complete information about the history of treatment, care or services. The individual and family are responsible for reporting unexpected changes in the individual’s condition. The individual and family help the organization improve its understanding of the individual’s environment by providing feedback about service needs and expectations.
Asking questions. Individuals are responsible for asking questions when they do not understand what they have been told about the care or what they are expected to do.
Following instructions. The individual and family are responsible for following the care, service or treatment plan developed. They should express any concerns they have about their ability to follow and comply with the proposed care plan or course of treatment. Every effort is made to adapt the plan to the individual’s specific needs and limitations. When such adaptations to the treatment, care or service plan are not recommended, the individual and family are responsible for understanding the consequences of the treatment, care or service alternatives and not following the proposed course.
Accepting consequences. The individual and family are responsible for the outcomes if they do not follow the care, service, or treatment plan.
Following rules and regulations. The individual and family are responsible for following the organization’s rules and regulations concerning individual care and conduct.
Showing respect and consideration. Individuals and families are responsible for being considerate of the organization’s personnel and property. Individuals are responsible for being considerate of other individuals, helping control noise and disturbances, smoking policies, and respecting other’s property.
Meeting financial commitments. The individual and family are responsible for promptly meeting any financial obligation agreed to with the organization.
Complaint Resolution. The patient is responsible to ask the hospital staff for assistance in complaint resolution. Immediate concerns can be addressed with the supervisor or director over the department that is involved. The Quality Management Department can also be contacted at 678-604-1056.

Preventing Infection

Our overall goal is to reduce the risk of infection while in the hospital. HMC follows recommendations from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as well as The Joint Commission and OSHA recommendations and other regulatory mandates.
There is a multi-disciplinary Infection Control Committee chaired by an infectious disease physician that meets monthly. The surveillance, prevention and control of healthcare related infections are functions of this committee. Surveillance data is collected and presented by the infection control coordinator who is a registered nurse and certified in infection control. Policies and procedures are formulated and reviewed by this committee.

Measures Used to Help Prevent and Control Infections

Good hand hygiene using the CDC Recommended alcohol-based foam located in the patient rooms and other patient care areas.
Triage and proper isolation of patients in the Emergency Department for possible SARS.
Proper isolation of patients after admission to the nursing units
Disinfection of the environment.
Education of the staff on new procedures and measures to prevent infections.
Sterile technique for invasive procedures.

What Can Patients do to Help Prevent Infections in the Hospital?

Patients are a part of the healthcare team and should not be afraid to remind doctors and other hospital staff about washing their hands before working with them.
Patients should wash hands after handling any soiled material, especially after using the bathroom.
Diabetics should control their blood sugar as much as possible, before, during and after the hospital stay to help reduce the risk of infection.
Smokers should consider a smoking cessation program to reduce the chance of developing lung infections and improve healing abilities.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions about your care to fully understand the treatment plan and expected outcomes.
Working together, hospital staff, physicians, patients and family members can provide a safer and healthier environment for everyone.
Any questions or concerns regarding Henry Medical Center’s Infection Control program can be addressed by calling 678-604-5145.