Patient’s Access to Care
Individuals shall be accorded impartial access to treatment or accommodations that are available or medically indicated, regardless of race, creed, sex, national origin, or source of payment for care.
Respect and Dignity
The patient has the right to considerate, respectful care free from humiliation at all times and under all circumstances, with recognition of his personal dignity.
Privacy and Confidentiality
The patient has the right, within law, to personal and informational privacy, as manifested by the following rights:
- To refuse to talk with or see anyone not officially connected with the hospital, including visitors, or persons officially connected with the hospital but not directly involved in his care.
- To wear appropriate personal clothing and religious or other symbolic items, as long as they do not interfere with diagnostic procedures or treatment.
- To be interviewed and examined in surroundings designed to ensure reasonable visual and auditory privacy. This includes the right to have a person of one’s own sex present during certain parts of the physical examination, treatment, or procedure performed by a health professional of the opposite sex and the right not to remain disrobed any longer than is required for accomplishing the medical purpose for which the patient was asked to disrobe.
- To expect that any discussion or consultation involving his case will be conducted discreetly and that individuals not directly involved in his care will not be present without permission.
- To have his medical record read only by individuals directly involved in his treatment or in the monitoring of its quality. Other individuals can read his medical record only on his written authorization or that of his legally authorized representatives.
- To expect all communications and other records pertaining to his care, including the source of payment of treatment, to be treated as confidential.
- To be placed in protective privacy when considered necessary for personal safety.
Pain Management
At CHRISTUS Health a patient can expect a dedicated professional staff of physicians and nurses who will respond to your complaints of pain in a concerned and very timely manner.
A patient at CHRISTUS Health has the responsibility to:
- Ask doctor or nurse what to expect regarding pain and pain relief.
- Not to hesitate to ask for pain relief.
- Help the doctor and nurses assess your pain.
- Inform your nurses if your pain medication does not relieve your pain.
- Inform nurses and doctors about any concerns you might have about taking pain medication.
Personal Safety
The patient has the right to expect reasonable safety insofar as the hospital practices and environment are concerned.
Identity
The patient has the right to know the identity and professional status of individuals providing service to him and to know which physician or other practitioner is primarily responsible for his care. This includes the patient’s right to know of the existence of any professional relationship among individuals who are treating him, as well as the relationship to any other health care or educational institutions involved in his care. Participation by patients in clinical training programs or in the gathering of data for research purposes should be voluntary.
Information
The patient has the right to obtain, from the practitioner responsible for coordinating his care, complete and current information concerning his diagnosis (to the degree known), treatment, and any prognosis. This information should be made available to a legally authorized individual.
Communication
The patient has the right to access people outside the hospital by means of visitors and by verbal and written communication.
When the patient does not speak or understand the predominant language of the community, he should have access to an interpreter. This is particularly true where language barriers are a continuing problem.
Consent
The patient has the right to reasonable, informed participation in decisions involving his health care. To the degree possible, this should be based on a clear, concise explanation of his condition and of all proposed technical procedures, including the possibilities of any risk of mortality or serious side effects, problems related to recuperation, and the probability of success. The patient should not be subjected to any procedure without his voluntary, competent, and understanding consent or the consent of his legally authorized representative. Where medically significant alternatives for care and treatment exist, the patient shall be so informed.
The patient has the right to know who is responsible for authorizing and performing the procedures or treatment.
The patient shall be informed if the hospital proposes to engage or perform human experimentation or other research/educational projects affecting his care or treatment; the patient has the right to refuse to participate in any such activity.
Consultation
The patient, at his own request and expense, has the right to consult with a specialist.
Refusal of Treatment
The patient may refuse treatment to the extent permitted by law. When refusal of treatment by the patient or his legally authorized representative prevents the provision of appropriate care in accordance with professional standards, the relationship with the patient may be terminated upon reasonable notice.
Transfer and Continuity of Care
A patient may not be transferred to another facility or organization unless he has received a complete assessment of the need for the transfer and the alternatives to such a transfer and unless the transfer is acceptable to the other facility or organization. The patient has the right to be informed by the practitioner responsible for this care, or his delegate, of any continuing health care requirements following discharge from the hospital.
Hospital Charges
Regardless of the source of payment for his care, the patient has the right to request and receive an itemized and detailed explanation of his total bill for services rendered in the hospital. The patient has the right to timely notice prior to termination of his eligibility for reimbursement by any third-party payer for the cost of his care.
Hospital Rules and Regulations
The patient should be informed of the hospital rules and regulations applicable to this conduct as a patient. Patients are entitled to information about the hospital’s mechanism for initiation, review, and resolution of patient complaints.
