Patient Rights, Responsibilities & Visitation

Because of our belief in the dignity and value of the person, Regional Medical Center reaffirms our mutual rights – yours as a patient and ours as providers of your healthcare.

Patients Rights:

• Access treatment without regard to race, color, creed, culture, age, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, or sources of payment.
• Expect RMC to give them necessary health services to the best of its ability. Treatment, referral, or transfer may be recommended. If transfer is recommended or requested, the patient will be informed of the risks, benefits, and alternatives.
• Ensure the patient’s right to have a family member or representative of his/her choice and his/her own physician/provider notified promptly of admission to the hospital.
• Considerate and respectful care including personal privacy in receipt of care.
• Receive safe care in a safe setting.
• Knowledge of the name of the physician/provider who has primary responsibility for coordinating the patient’s care and the names and professional relationships of the physicians and healthcare providers who may provide consultation.
• Receive information from the physician/provider about the illness, diagnoses, the course of treatment and the prospects for recovery, in terms that he/she can understand.
• The patient or their representative (as allowed under state law) has the right to make informed decisions regarding their care, be informed of their health status, be involved in care planning and treatment, and be able to request or refuse treatment. This right must not be construed as a mechanism to demand the provision of treatment or services deemed medically necessary or inappropriate.
• Receive as much information about any proposed treatment or procedure as needed in order to give informed consent or to refuse the course of treatment to the extent authorized by law. Except in emergencies, this information shall include a description of the procedure or treatment, the medically significant risks involved in the treatment, alternate course of treatment or non-treatment, and the risks involved in each, and to know the name of the person who will carry out the procedure or treatment.
• Participate actively in the development, implementation, and decisions regarding his/her plan of care. Case discussion, consultation, examination, and treatment are confidential and should be conducted discretely. The patient has the right to be advised as to the reason for the presence of any individual.
• Assessment and reassessment of pain by professional staff and be educated regarding current methods of pain relief and/or management.
• Be free from all forms of abuse, harassment, and unnecessary restraint or seclusion for purposes of discipline, convenience, corporal punishment, retaliation, or coercion. Restraint or seclusion may only be imposed to ensure the immediate physical safety of the patient, a staff member, or others and must be discontinued at the earliest possible time.
• Personal privacy and confidential treatment of all communications and records pertaining to care and stay at RMC.
• RMC will ensure that access to all patient information is limited to those designated by law, regulation, and policy, or duly authorized as having a need to know. No unauthorized access or dissemination is permitted.
• Know if RMC has relationships with outside parties that may influence treatment and care. These relationships may be with educational institutions or other healthcare providers or insurers.
• The patient will not be transferred until the receiving institution agrees to accept the patient.
• Reasonable responses to any reasonable request made for services within the hospital capacity and to the extent permitted by law.
• Leave RMC even against the advice of the physician/provider.
• Reasonable continuity of care and to know in advance the time and location of reappointment as well as the physician/provider providing care.
• Be advised if RMC or personal physician/provider proposes to engage in or perform human experimentation affecting the patient’s care or treatment. The patient has the right to refuse to participate in such research projects.
• Be informed by the physician/provider, or a delegate of the physician/provider, of the continuing healthcare requirements following discharge from RMC.
• To receive a copy of a reasonably clear and understandable itemized bill and upon request, to have the charges explained.
• Be informed on the grievance process and follow-up.
• Know which hospital rules and policies apply to patient conduct.
• Have all patient’s rights apply to the person who may have legal responsibility to make decisions regarding medical care on behalf of the patient.
• To request the services of a specialist at their own expense.
• Access their medical records, including current medical records, upon an oral or written request, in the form and format requested by the individual, if it is readily producible in such form and format (including in an electronic form or format when such medical records are maintained electronically); or, if not, in a readable hard copy form or such other form and format as agreed to by the hospital and the individual, and within a reasonable time frame. The hospital must not frustrate the legitimate efforts of individuals to gain access to their own medical records and must actively seek to meet these requests as quickly as its record keeping system permits.
• Formulate advance directives and have hospital staff and practitioners who provide care in the hospital comply with these directives. Patients will be provided appropriate information and forms upon request.

Patient Responsibilities

The care a patient receives depends partially on the patient’s own behavior. Therefore, in addition to these rights, a patient has certain responsibilities as well. These responsibilities should be presented to the patient in the spirit of mutual trust and respect.

• The patient has the responsibility to provide accurate and complete information concerning present complaints, past illnesses, hospitalizations, and other matters relating to his/her health.
• The patient is responsible for making it known whether he/she clearly comprehends the course of medical treatment and what is expected of him/her.
• Information related to unexpected changes in the patient’s condition need to be reported to RMC staff.
• The patient is responsible for following the treatment plan established by the physician/provider, including the instructions of nurses and other health professionals as they carry out the physician’s/provider’s orders.
• The patient is responsible for keeping appointments and for notifying RMC or the physician/provider when unable to do so.
• The patient is responsible for his/her actions when treatment is refused or physician/provider orders are not followed.
• The patient is responsible for assuring that the financial obligations of RMC care are fulfilled as promptly as possible.
• The patient is responsible for following RMC policies and procedures.
• The patient is responsible for being considerate of the rights of other patients and hospital personnel.
• The patient is responsible for being respectful of his/her personal property and that of other persons in the hospital.
• The patient is responsible to express concerns regarding their ability to comply with the proposed treatment and every effort will be made to meet specific needs and limitations.
• To secure money and valuables by sending them home with family members or putting them in the hospital safe.

Patient Visitation Rights

RMC will inform each patient (or patient’s support person, where appropriate) of his/her visitation rights, including any clinical restriction or limitation on such rights, in advance of furnishing patient care whenever possible.

Each patient has the right, subject to his/her consent to receive the visitors whom he/she designates including, but not limited to, a spouse, a domestic partner (including same sex partner), another family member, or a friend and his/her right to deny or withdraw consent at anytime.

RMC will not restrict, limit, or otherwise deny visitation privileges on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability.

All visitors will have full and equal visitation privileges consistent with patient preferences.

Hand hygiene practices will be encouraged for all visitors.

RESTRICTIONS: RMC will impose appropriate and reasonable restriction on visitation when visitation would interfere with the care of the patient and/or care of other patients. Examples of this may include:

• Existing court orders restricting contact of which RMC is aware
• Disruptive, threatening, or violent behavior of any kind
• Limitation on the number of visitors during a specific period of time (ie. room/space limitations)
• Extraordinary protection because of a pandemic/infectious disease outbreak. For infection prevention purposes, RMC may refuse the right of visitors to patient care areas during the cold/flu season.
• Patient/visitor risk of infection by patient/visitor
• Patient’s or another individual in a shared room need for privacy or rest
• Restricted areas include the Operating Room (OR) Recovery Areas within the Surgery department