Patient Handbook

Patient Rights and Responsibilities

Informed Consent

The process of Informed Consent entitles you to complete information concerning the course of treatment, risks, benefits, and possible alternatives, providing an opportunity for you and/or your family to ask questions and participate in decision-making about your care.

After the informed consent discussion at the time you are admitted, you or your authorized representative must sign a form to acknowledge that you had an opportunity to have enough knowledge to make a good decision about care ad treatment. This form becomes a permanent part of your medical record at the hospital.

To read more about informed consent, refer to the information included in your Admitting folder.

Pain Management

Your comfort is priority at Silver Cross Hospital. Your caregivers will frequently ask about your pain to ensure a high level of comfort using the pain scale shown below. Be sure to openly discuss any pain you may be feeling with your caregivers and request pain relief when the pain first begins so we can determine how well your treatment is working and if changes need to be made.

For more information about pain management options, ask your nurse or physician.

Patient Bill of Rights

Silver Cross Hospital supports the "Patient's Bill of Rights", in accordance with the American Hospital Association and the Medicare and Medicaid Conditions of Participation. The "Patient's Bill of Rights" reads as follows:

1. The patient has the right to considerate and respectful care in a safe setting free from any type of abuse or harassment.

2. The patient has the right to and is encouraged to obtain from his physicians and other direct caregivers relevant, accurate, current, and understandable information concerning diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis, including appropriate pain management.

   Except in emergencies when the patient lacks decision-making capacity and the need for treatment is urgent, the patient entitled to the opportunity to discuss and request information related to the specific procedures and/or treatments, the risks involved, the possible length of recuperation, and the medically reasonable alternatives and their accompanying risks and benefits.

   Patients have the right to know the identity of physicians, nurses, and others involved in their care, as well as when those involved are students, residents, or other trainees. The patient also has the right to know the immediate and long-term financial implications of treatment choices.

3. The patient has the right to make informed decisions about the plan of care prior to and during the course of treatment and to refuse a recommended treatment or plan of care to the extent permitted by law and hospital policy and to be informed of the medical consequences of this action. In case of such refusal, the patient is entitled to other appropriate care and services that the hospital provides or transfers to another hospital. The hospital should notify patients of any policy that might affect patient choice within the institution.

4. The patient has the right to have an advance directive (such as a living will or durable power of attorney for healthcare) concerning treatment or designating a surrogate decision maker with the expectation that the hospital will honor the intent of that directive to the extent permitted by law and hospital policy.

5. Healthcare institutions must advise patients of their rights under state law and hospital policy to make informed medical choices, ask if the patient has an advance directive, and include that information in patient records. The patient has the right to timely information about hospital policy that may limit its ability to implement fully a legally valid advance directive.

6. The patient has the right to every consideration of privacy. Case discussion, consultation, examination, and treatment should be conducted so as to protect each patient's privacy.

7. The patient has the right to expect that all communications and records pertaining to his/her care will be treated as confidential by the hospital, except in cases such as suspected abuse and public health hazards when reporting is permitted or required by law. The patient has the right to expect that the hospital will emphasize the confidentiality of this information when it releases it to any other parties entitled to review information in these records.

8. The patient has the right to access information contained in his/her clinical records and to have the information explained or interpreted as necessary, except when restricted by law. The medical record must be provided to the patient in a reasonable time frame and at a reasonable cost.

9. The patient has the right to expect that, within its capacity and policies, a hospital will make a reasonable response to the request of a patient for appropriate and medically indicated care and services. The hospital must provide evaluation, service, and/or referral as indicated by the urgency of the case. When medically appropriate and legally permissible, or when a patient has so requested, a patient may be transferred to another facility. The institution to which the patient is to be transferred must first have accepted the patient for transfer. The patient must also have the benefit of complete information and explanation concerning the need for, risks, benefits, and alternatives to such a transfer.

10. The patient has the right to ask and be informed of the existence of business relationships among the hospital, educational institutions, other healthcare providers, or payers that may influence the patient's treatment and care.

11. The patient has the right to consent to or decline to participate in proposed research studies or human experimentation affecting care and treatment or requiring direct patient involvement, and to have those studies fully explained prior to consent. A patient who declines to participate in research or experimentation is entitled to the most effective care that the hospital can otherwise provide.

12. The patient has the right to expect reasonable continuity of care when appropriate and to be informed by physicians and other caregivers of available and realistic patient care options when hospital care is no longer appropriate.

13. The patient has the right to be informed of hospital policies and practices that relate to patient care, treatment, and responsibilities. The patient has the right to be informed of available resources for resolving disputes, grievances, and conflicts, such as ethics committees, patient representatives, or other mechanisms available in the institution. The patient has the right to be informed of the hospital's charges for services and available payment methods.

14. The patient has the right to have a family member or representative of their choice and their physician notified promptly of their admission to the hospital.

15. The patient has the right to be free of restraints and seclusion in any form used as a means of coercion, discipline, convenience, or retaliation.

Patient Responsibilities

Silver Cross Hospital also recognizes that patients have certain responsibilities when hospitalized. The following outlines those responsibilities:

1. A patient has the responsibility to provide, to the best of his knowledge, accurate and complete information about present complaints, past illnesses, hospitalizations, medications, and other matters relating to his health. He has the responsibility to report unexpected changes in his condition to the responsible practitioner. A patient is responsible for reporting whether he clearly comprehends a contemplated course of action and what is expected of him.

2. A patient is responsible for following the treatment plan recommended by the practitioner primarily responsible for his care. This may include following the instructions of nurses and allied health personnel as they carry out the coordinated plan of care, implement the responsible practitioner's orders, and enforce the applicable hospital rules and regulations. The patient is responsible for keeping appointments and, when he is unable to do so for any reason, for notifying the responsible practitioner or the hospital.

3. The patient is responsible for his actions if he refuses treatment or does not follow the practitioner's instructions.

4. The patient is responsible for assuring that the financial obligations of his health care are fulfilled as promptly as possible.

5. The patient is responsible for following hospital rules and regulations affecting patient care and conduct.

6. The patient is responsible for being considerate of the rights of other patients and hospital personnel and for assisting in the control of noise, smoking, and the number of visitors. The patient is responsible for being respectful of the property of other persons and of the hospital.

Patient Responsibilities

Everyone has a role in making health care safe including the team of health care experts - and yourself. Participate in making your care safe by becoming an involved and informed member of your health care team. The "Speak Up" program, sponsored by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), urges patients to get involved in their care by following the suggestions below:

• Speak up if you have questions or concerns, and if you don't understand, ask again. It is your body and you have a right to know.
• Pay attention to the care you are receiving. Make sure you are getting the right treatments and medication by the right health care professionals. Don't assume anything.
• Educate yourself about your diagnosis, the medical tests you are undergoing, and your treatment plan.
• Ask a trusted family member or friend to be your advocate.
• Know what medications you take and why you take them. Medication errors are the most common health care mistakes.
• Use a hospital, clinic, surgery center, or other type of health care organization that has undergone a rigorous on-site evaluation against established, state-of-the-art quality and safety standards, such as that provided by the Joint Commission.
• Participate in all decisions about your treatment. You are the center of the health care team.

Advance Directives

An Advance Directive is legal document in which you state your desires for health care should you become incapacitated. Please refer to the information sheet provided in your Admitting folder for more detailed information regarding Advance Directives. You may prepare an Advance Directive while you are a patient and have the new document entered into your medical record at any time. Notify your nurse if you would like Advance Directive forms.