Patient Rights and Responsibilities

The Langtree Endoscopy Center and the medical staff recognize patient rights and encourage patients to be informed and involved in their care. Considerate care, treatment, and services are provided in a way which respects and fosters the patient’s dignity, autonomy, positive self regard, civil rights, and with regard to the patient’s personal values, beliefs, and preferences. The patient and the patient’s representative or surrogate has the right to:

• Become informed of his or her rights as a patient prior to the procedure/treatment, or when discontinuing, the provision of care.
• Appoint a representative, or surrogate to receive this information should he or she so desire.
• Not to be discriminated against based on sex, race, age, sexual orientation, disability, national origin, cultural or personal values; marital status, economic, educational or religious background; diagnosis; or the source of payment for care. And be free of any act of discrimination or reprisal.
• Personal privacy. Considerate, dignified, and respectful care provided in a safe environment, free from all forms of abuse; neglect; manipulation; harassment; verbal; mental; physical; sexual assault or sexual abuse; and/or exploitation.
• Access protective and advocacy services or have these services accessed on the patient’s behalf.
• Receive treatment that supports and respects the patient’s individuality, choices, strengths, and ability.
• Receive information about pain and pain relief measures and to have appropriate assessments and management of pain.
• Remain free from seclusion or restraints of any form that are not medically necessary unless used to prevent imminent harm to self or others. Restraints will not be used as a means of coercion, discipline, convenience or retaliation by staff.
• Knowledge of the name of the physician who has primary responsibility for coordinating his/her care and the names and professional relationships of other physicians and healthcare providers who will see him/ her.
• Knowledge of physician financial interests or ownership in the center in writing prior to the procedure.
• Be provided, to the degree known, complete information concerning their diagnosis, evaluation, treatment, and prognosis. When it is medically inadvisable to give such information to a patient, the information is provided to a person designated by the patient or to a legally authorized person.
• Refuse or withdraw consent to treatment before treatment is initiated, and except in an emergency, either consents to or refuses treatment.
• Receive as much information about any proposed treatment, procedure, and expected outcome, as he/she may need in order to give informed consent or to refuse the course of treatment. Except in emergencies, this information shall include a description of the procedure or treatment; the medically significant risks involved in the treatment; alternate courses of treatment or non-treatment; possible complications; and the name of the person who will carry out the procedure or treatment.
• Give or withhold informed consent to produce or use recordings, films or other images of the patient for purposed other than his/her care.
• Participate in decisions regarding his/her medical care. To the extent permitted by law, this includes the right to request and/or refuse treatment and change providers if other qualified providers are available.
• Participate, or have patient’s representative participate, in the development of decisions concerning treatment.
• Full consideration of privacy concerning his/her medical care program. Case discussion, consultation, examination and treatment are confidential and should be conducted discreetly. Will be provided privacy for personal needs. The patient has the right to be advised as to the reason for the presence of any individual involved in his or her healthcare.
• Confidential treatment of all communications and records pertaining to his/her care and his/her stay at the facility. His/her written permission will be obtained before his/her medical records can be made available to anyone not directly concerned with his/her care.
• Receive information in a manner that he/she understands. Communications with the patient will be effective and provided in a manner that facilitates understanding by the patient. Written information provided will be appropriate to the age, understanding and, as appropriate, the language of the patient. As appropriate, communications specific to the vision, speech, hearing cognitive and language-impaired patient will be appropriate to the impairment.
• Access or request amendments to information contained in his or her medical record within a reasonable time frame.
• Leave the facility even against the advice of his/her physician.
• Reasonable continuity of care or receive a referral to another healthcare institution if the center is not authorized or unable to provide physical health services for the patient.
• Voice complaints or grievances regarding treatment or care that is (or fails to be) furnished without retaliation for submitting a complaint or grievance to the center or to another entity.
• Be advised of the facility’s grievance policy should he or she wish to communicate a concern regarding the quality of the care he or she receives, or fails to receive. Notification of the grievance process includes: whom to contact to file a complaint or grievance by phone or mail, and that he or she will be provided with a written notice of the grievance determination that contains the name of the facility’s contact person (Administrator); the steps taken on his or her behalf to investigate the grievance; the results of the grievance process; and the grievance completion date.
• Report complaints or grievances to the state agency as follows:
  
  Quality lmprovement Organization
  Phone: (813) 280-8256
  Toll Free: (844) 455-8708
  Fax: (844) 834-7129
  Mail: KEPRO
  5201 W. Kennedy Boulevard, Suite 900
  Tampa, FL 33609
  
  If you have a Medicare complaint you may contact:
  
  North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
  Phone: (800) 624-3004
  Mail: North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
  2711 Mail Service Center
  Raleigh, NC 27699-2711
  
  Regarding problem resolution, you have the right to:
  
  Express your concerns about patient care and safety to facility personnel and/or management without being subject to coercion, discrimination, reprisal or unreasonable interruption of care; and to be informed of the resolution process for your concerns. If your concerns and questions cannot be resolved at this level, contact the accrediting agency indicated below:
  
  The Joint Commission
  Phone: (800) 994-6610
  Fax: (630) 792-5636
  Email: patientsafetyreport@jointcommission.org
  Mail: Office of Quality Monitoring/the Joint Commission
  One Renaissance Boulevard
  Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181
  
  NOTE: The role of the Medicare Beneficiary Ombudsman is to ensure that as Medicare Beneficiaries the patient receives information and help needed to understand their Medicare options and apply their Medicare rights and protections.
• Receive information concerning the facility’s policies on advanced directives, including a description of applicable state health and safety laws and, if requested, official state advance directive forms.
• Be advised if facility/personal physician proposes to engage in or perform human experimentation affecting his/her care or treatment. The patient has the right to refuse to participate in such research projects. Refusal to participate or discontinuation of participation will not compromise the patient’s right to access care, treatment or services.
• Full support and respect of all patient rights should the patient choose to participate in research, investigation and/or clinical trials. This includes the patient’s right to a full informed consent process as it relates to the research, investigation and/or clinical trial. All information provided to subjects will be contained in the medical record or research file, along with the consent form(s).
• Be informed by his/her physician or a delegate of his/her physician of the continuing healthcare requirements following his/her discharge from the facility.
• Be fully informed of the facilities fees for services, payment policies and examine and receive an explanation of his/her bill regardless of source of payment.
• Not be subjected to misappropriation of personal and private property by the center’s medical staff, personnel members, employees, volunteers, or students.
• Be informed of the scope of services available at the facility and the provisions for after hours and emergency care.
• Know which facility rules and policies apply to his/her conduct while a patient.
• If a patient is adjudged incompetent under applicable State health and safety laws by a court of proper jurisdiction, the rights of the patient are exercised by the person appointed under State law to act on the patient’s behalf.
• If a State court has not adjudged a patient incompetent, any legal representative or surrogate designated by the patient in accordance with State laws may exercise the patient’s rights to the extent allowed by state law.
• Be informed with appropriate information about the absence of malpractice insurance coverage.
• Review and receive a copy, if requested, of the facility’s HIPAA Privacy Notice informing patients of their rights to privacy.
• To receive assistance from a family member, a patient’s representative, surrogate, or other individual in understanding, protecting or exercising these rights.

All facility personnel, medical staff members and contracted agency personnel performing patient care activities shall observe these patients’ rights.

 

Patient Responsibilities

The care a patient receives depends partially on the patient himself. Therefore, in addition to these rights, a patient has certain responsibilities as well. These responsibilities are presented to the patient in the spirit of mutual trust and respect:

• Provide accurate and complete information concerning his/her present complaints, past illnesses, hospitalizations, medications, including over the counter products and dietary supplements, and any allergies or sensitivities, and other matters relating to his/her health.
• Report perceived risks in his or her care and unexpected changes in his/her condition to the responsible practitioner.
• Provide information about any living will, medical power of attorney, or other directive that could affect his/her care.
• Ask questions when they do not understand what they have been told about the patient’s care or what they are expected to do.
• Participate in his/her care and follow the treatment plan established by his/her physician, including the instructions of nurses and other health professionals as they carry out the physician’s orders.
• Provide a responsible adult to transport him/her home upon discharge from the facility and remain with him/her for 24 hours, if required by his/her provider.
• Keep appointments and for notifying the facility or physician when he/she is unable to do so.
• The consequences of his/her actions should he/she refuse treatment or not follow his/her physician’s orders.
• Assure that the financial obligations not covered by his/her insurance, are fulfilled as promptly as possible.
• Follow facility policies and procedures.
• Be considerate of the rights of other patients and facility personnel.
• Be respectful of his/her personal property and that of other persons in the facility.
• Notify the center if they feel any rights have been violated, or have a complaint or suggestion for improvement, by returning the patient survey form.

 

FAMILY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PEDIATRIC PATIENT

• Parents/family/surrogate shall have the responsibility for:
• Continuing their parenting role to the extent of their ability
• Being available to participate in decision-making and providing staff with knowledge of parents/family whereabouts
• The family consists of those individuals responsible for physical and emotional care of the child on a continuous basis, regardless of whether they are related.