Download Saint Thomas Health Patient Rights and Responsibilities

Saint Thomas Health
Patient Rights and Responsibilities
Hospital care is a special partnership between patients, their loved ones, physicians and hospital staff. We at Saint Thomas Health respect your rights, values and
dignity, and we ask that you recognize the responsibilities that come with being a patient in our hospitals. Please review these rights and responsibilities and discuss them with your caregivers and your family.
Patient Rights
• You have the right to safe, high quality, compassionate healthcare, without fear of discrimination of any kind.
• You have the right to the most appropriate medical treatment available, delivered in a safe, considerate, and respectful manner.
• You have the right to have your illness, treatment, alternatives and outcomes explained in a manner and language you can understand, including the use
of interpretation services as needed.
• You or your personal representative has the right to participate in the development and implementation of your plan of care.
• You have the right to make informed decisions about your care in collaboration with your physician and other caregivers. You have the right to accept or
refuse medical care, including life sustaining and resuscitative treatment, to the extent permitted by law. You have the right to be informed of the medical
consequences of your decisions.
• You have the right to receive professional assessment and management of your pain.
• You have the right to know the identity and professional status of persons caring for you, and the right to refuse to be treated by a student. You have a
right to request a second opinion.
• You have the right to complete, ongoing information concerning your diagnosis, treatment, and any known prognosis. You have the right to information
on post-discharge care needs and alternatives, including transfers to another facility.
• You have the right to assistance with and to participate in the consideration of ethical issues that may arise in the course of your care.
• You have the right to know what hospital rules and regulations apply to you as a patient
• You have the right to refuse experimental treatment or drugs.
• You have the right to private and confidential treatment/personal care, communications and medical records to the extent permitted by law.
• You have the right to have information regarding your medical treatment explained to your family member or other appropriate individual when you are
unable to participate in decisions about your care.
• You have the right to receive information about and assistance with advance directives, (Living Will/ Advance Care Plan; Durable Power of Attorney for
Healthcare/ Surrogate Decision Maker for Healthcare/Physician Orders for Scope of Treatment), which may include delegation of the right to make decisions about your care to a personal representative, as well as designation of a support person. You have the right to review and revise existing directives,
and to have your advance directives respected within the limits of the law.
• You have the right to have your wishes regarding organ donation honored. You have the right to have your treatment preferences honored and to receive
the same level of care whether or not you have written advance directives.
• You have the right to access the information in your medical records within a reasonable timeframe. You have the right to request amendments to your
medical record. You have the right to receive an accounting of disclosures of your medical information, within the limits of the law.
• You have the right to examine an itemized copy of your hospital bill and to have it explained to you, regardless of source of payment. You also have the
right to information concerning possible resources for financial assistance.
• You have the right to care that is provided in the least restrictive way, and to have restrictions such as restraints or seclusion explained and reviewed.
• You have the right to have a family member or representative of his or her choice and his or her own physician notified promptly of his or her admission
to the hospital.
• You have the right to be free from all forms of abuse, neglect and exploitation, and the right to access protective or advocacy services when indicated
or required. You (or your support person) have the right to be informed of your visitation rights including any clinical restrictions or limitations of our
rights.
• You have the right to receive visitors designated by you, including, but not limited to, a spouse, a domestic partner (including a same-sex domestic partner), another family member, or a friend. Also included is the right to withdraw or deny such consent at any time.
• You have the right to visitation privileges that are not restricted, limited, or denied based upon race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity,
sexual orientation, or disability. All your visitors shall enjoy full and equal visitation privileges.
• You have the right to the presence of a support individual of your choice, unless the individual’s presence infringes on others’ rights, safety, or is medically or therapeutically contraindicated. The individual may or may not be your surrogate decision maker or legally authorized representative.
Patient Responsibilities
• You are responsible for providing the hospital with all necessary information about your medical history, hospitalizations, medications, and other matters
related to your health.
• You are responsible to communicate with those involved in your care, including asking questions if medical information or instructions are not clear to
you.
• You are responsible for following your plan of care. If you are unable or unwilling to follow the plan of care, you are responsible for telling your care provider. Your care provider will explain the medical consequences of not following the recommended treatment.
• You are responsible for the outcomes of not following your plan of care.
• You are responsible to respect your caregivers’ efforts to provide care and treatment to other patients.
• You are responsible for following the hospital’s rules and regulations, to act in a manner that is respectful of other patients, staff and hospital property,
and to ask that your visitors do the same.
• You are responsible to provide the hospital with a copy of your advance directive, and to inform your family or preferred decision maker about your
wishes and the location of any advance directives.
• You are responsible to provide the hospital with financial and health insurance information necessary to process your bill, and to meet your financial
obligations to this facility.
If you do not feel your complaint was handled properly, please call one of the following numbers:
Complaint Resolution
We want to hear from you. You and your family have the right to voice your compliments, concerns and complaints freely without fear of coercion, discrimination, reprisals, or unreasonable interruptions of care. Your concerns and complaints will be reviewed and resolved when possible, and grievances will be
responded to within seven (7) working days. You may voice your concerns with your caregivers, or you may call one of the following
Complaint Lines:
• Saint Thomas Stones River Hospital: (615) 563-7207
• Saint Thomas Midtown Hospital: (615) 284-4438
•
Saint Thomas Dekalb Hospital: (615) 215-5302
• Saint Thomas Hickman Hospital: (931) 729-4271
•
Saint Thomas Highlands Hospital: (931) 738-4150
• Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital: (615) 396-5934
•
Saint Thomas River Park Hospital: (931) 815-4107
• Saint Thomas West Hospital: (615) 222-6630
• Centralized Complaint Intake Unit. You may phone your complaint to one of our medically trained staff by contacting Health Care Facilities,
Complaint Intake Unit. The call will be toll free and phones are answered Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Simply dial this toll-free
number: 1-877-287-0010
• Mail your Complaint. You may contact the Department of Health, Division of Health Care Facilities at 1-877-287-0010 to request a complaint
form. Fill out the form as completely as possible and return it to us by mail at:
Division of Health Care Facilities
Centralized Complaint Intake Unit
665 Mainstream Drive, Second Floor
Nashville, TN 37243
• Tennessee Department of Health, Health Facilities Complaint Hotline 1-877-287-0010
• Joint Commission Complaint Hotline 1-800-994-6610