Rights & Responsibilities

PATIENT’S/PARENT’S/GUARDIAN’S RIGHTS

Patient and/or Patient’s Representative has the right to:

• receive care that is considerate and respectful of his/her personal values, beliefs, and privacy. 
• make informed decisions regarding all aspects of his/her medical care, including the decision to accept, refuse or limit treatment, to the extent permitted by law, and to be informed of the medical consequences of his/her action.
• participate in the development and implementation of his/her plan of care and to be informed of his/her health status, including diagnosis, treatment and prognosis, in terms that he/she can understand. 
• receive from his/her physician information necessary to give informed consent prior to the start of any procedure and/or treatment. Except in emergencies, such information for informed consent should include, but not be limited to, the specific procedure(s) and/or treatment, alternatives to the medical procedure(s) and/or treatment, associated risks, and possible complications.
• be informed about outcomes of care whenever those outcomes differ significantly from the anticipated outcomes.
• have pain assessed and managed when admitted and throughout his/her hospitalization. 
• be free from seclusion and restraints when not medically necessary.
• expect that the hospital will provide a mechanism whereby the patient is informed by the physician or an agent of the physician of transfer to another facility when medically appropriate or of discharge plans, including any continuing health care requirements following the patient’s discharge.
• make an informed decision on whether to participate in an investigative study, research project, clinical trial, or educational activity related to his/her care or treatment. A refusal to participate will not compromise access to service.
• have a family member or representative of his/her choice and his/her physician notified as soon as can be reasonably expected of the patient’s admission to the hospital. The patient has the right to involve or exclude family members from care decisions.
• formulate advance directives and to have hospital staff and physicians comply with these directives.
• participate and to assist in resolving ethical issues or dilemmas that arise in his/her care (i.e., issues of conflict resolution, provision of futile care, withdrawing of life-sustaining treatment, etc.).
• obtain written information, at the time of admission/encounter, which describes the procedure for the submission and prompt resolution of a grievance. The hospital will not retaliate against a patient or representative for filing a grievance with either the hospital or Arizona Department of Health Services.
• receive care in a safe and secure hospital environment and to be free from all forms of abuse or harassment.
• confidentiality with respect to communications and records regarding his/her healthcare and to access the information, as permitted by law, in the medical record. The hospital’s Notice of Privacy Practices describes how the hospital can use and disclose protected health information, the patient’s rights under the HIPAA Privacy Standards, and the hospital’s legal duties regarding protected health information.
• examine and receive an explanation of his/her bill regardless of source of payment.
• obtain information regarding the relationship of the hospital to other healthcare providers, education institutions, and payors, as far as his/her care is concerned.
• know what hospital rules and regulations apply to patient’s conduct.
• a full explanation of any restrictions placed by the hospital on a patient’s visitors, mail, telephone calls, or other forms of communication. 
• access protective services. Local community protective service agencies may assist patient in determining whether protective services are needed and how to correct hazardous living conditions or situations.

PATIENT’S/PATIENT REPRESENTATIVE’S RESPONSIBILITIES

Patient and/or Patient's Representative is responsible for:

• providing, to the best of his/her knowledge, accurate and complete information about the patient’s healthcare status.
• reporting perceived risks in the patient’s care and unexpected changes in the patient’s condition.
• following the care, service, or treatment plan developed. The patient/representative should express any concerns or questions about his/her ability to follow and comply with the proposed care plan.
• following the hospital’s rules and regulations concerning patient care and conduct and for being considerate of the hospital’s personnel and property.
• providing, to the best of his/her knowledge, accurate and complete information to allow payment of hospital’s charges and, as applicable, for promptly meeting any financial obligation agreed to with the hospital.