Patient Rights & Responsibilities

Patient Rights

You Have the Right to the Best Care

Patients and Their Representative Have the: Right to Receive:

Treatment without respect to age, sex, race, ethnicity, culture, religion, language, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation or socioeconomic background.
Care which respects your dignity regardless of your medical condition or stage of life.
Appropriate assessment and management of pain.
Maintenance and respect of your personal privacy.
Fair treatment: Remain free from seclusion and restraints that are not medically necessary.
Treatment in a safe environment that is free from all forms of neglect, abuse, exploitation or harassment, and to access protective and advocacy services.
A timely notification of insurance denials.
A timely response to your concerns and to be informed of the action taken to correct the issue.
Information on how to access the Ethics Committee.
Access, request amendment to and obtain your medical records within a reasonable time frame.
Effective communication, by access of a language interpreter, translation services, and/or special equipment if you have vision, speech, hearing and cognitive impairment or do not understand English.
Access to the clergy of your choice and receive assistance in doing so.
Emotional support from a family member, spouse (including a same-sex spouse), domestic partner (including a same-sex partner), friend, significant other or representative of your choice be present for and involved in your care, treatment, services and decisions during the course of your stay.
Consult specialists at your own request and expense, or to be transferred to another facility if necessary.
An explanation of your bill.
Information concerning “Advance Directive/Living Will.”

Right to Be Informed:

Of hospital rules and policies and receive reasonable continuity of healthcare.
In a manner tailored to your ability to understand, information about your illness, course of treatment, outcomes of care and your prospects for recovery.
If the hospital or your physicians propose to perform human experimentation affecting your care, you have the right to refuse to participate in such research projects. Refusal to participate in any clinical trial or discontinuing participation at any time will not jeopardize your access to care, treatment and services unrelated to the research.
That all information and records concerning your medical care will be treated in a confidential manner. Written permission must be obtained from you (or legal representative) before medical records are released to anyone not directly involved with your care.
Of the process to file a complaint regarding quality of care received. You have the right to file a complaint with state authorities at 606-330-2030 or The Joint Commission online.
Of the names of the physicians and all personnel involved in your treatment and care.
And have your personal physician/provider and designated representative notified promptly of your admission to the hospital.
Of your current diagnosis, treatment plan (including risks and benefits), alternate plans and prognoses, and continuing healthcare treatments and requirements. To the extent permitted by law, this includes your right to request or refuse care, treatment and services. In the event that you choose to refuse treatment, you have the right to be informed of the medical consequences of that decision.
And participate in the decisions made regarding your medical care, including (within the extent of the law) end of life, ethical and right to request or refuse treatment.
That you have the right to refuse care from clinical students.
Of unanticipated outcomes of care, treatment and services by the physician managing your care when you are not already aware of the occurrence or when further discussion is needed.
That you may leave the hospital even against the advice of your physician.

Responsibility to:

Provide information about your health (past illness, hospital stays, use of medication, etc.).
Ask questions when you do not understand the information or treatment.
You and your visitors being considerate of other patients and staff during your stay.
Provide information for insurance and arrangement for payment of bills.
Notify the hospital if you have a healthcare surrogate, advocate or representative that will be involved in your care.