2. Chapter 14
Patient Rights & Responsibilities
2

3. Patient Self-Determination Act
• Protection of a patient’s right to make
decisions.
• Organizations required to observe, protect &
promote patient rights.
3

4. Patient Rights – I
• Admission
– Discrimination Prohibited
– Government Facilities
• Timely Response to Care Needs
• Know One’s Rights
– Bill of Rights
4

5. Patient Rights – II
• Ask Questions
– Clarification of the caregiver’s instructions.
– Interpretation of a caregiver’s illegible handwriting.
– Instructions for medication usage (e.g., frequency,
dosing, drug–drug or drug–food interactions,
contraindications, side effects).
– Clarification of the physician’s diet orders (e.g., “Does
my iced tea contain sugar-free substitutes?”).
– Explanation of the treatment plan.
– A copy of the organization’s hand-washing policy.
5

6. Patient Rights – III
• A description of the hospital’s procedures to
prevent wrong site surgery (e.g., the surgical site
has been appropriately marked).
• The surgeon to draw an arrow pointing to the
surgical site if a surgical site cannot be directly
marked.
• The opportunity to provide the organization with a
copy of any advance directives that may have been
executed (e.g., living will).
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7. Patient Rights – IV
• The right to appoint a surrogate decision maker
should they become incapacitated.
• A second opinion.
• The opportunity to provide the organization with a
copy of any advance directives that may have been
executed (e.g., living will)

8. Patient Rights – V
• clarification of diet orders
• explanation of treatment plan
• organization’s hand-washing policy
• know procedures to prevent wrong site surgery
• surgical site has been marked
8

9. Patient Rights – VI
• Explanation of Rights
• Know Hospital’s Adverse Events
• Know Caregivers
• Know 3rd Party Relationships
• Participate in Care Decisions
9

10. Patient Rights – VII
• Informed Consent
• Emergency Care
• Have Special Needs Addressed
• Compassionate Care
• Timely Response to Care Needs
10

11. Patient Rights – VIII
• Pain Management
– describe location & severity of pain
– discuss pain relief treatment options
– work with health care caregivers to develop
treatment plans
– discuss concerns about taking pain medication/s.
– alert caregivers of any allergies
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12. Patient Rights – IX
• Pain Management, cont.
– learn side effects associated with pain
management
– maintain record of effects of medications or
other pain relief measures
– participate in setting pain control goals
– provide caregivers with info about pain control
methods that have worked, or not worke

13. Patient Rights – X
• Refuse Treatment
– Right to Refuse Blood Transfusion
• Access to Medical Records
• Execute Advance Directives
• Designate a Decision-Maker
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14. Patient Rights – XI
• Privacy and Confidentiality
– Phlebotomist Discloses Patient Information at a
Public Tavern
– Disclosures Permitted Without Patient
Authorization
– Limitations on Disclosures
• Know Restrictions on Rights
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15. Patient Rights – XII
• Discharge
– Discharge Orders
– Release from Hospital Contraindicated
– Failure to Override a Physician’s Decision
• Right to Transfer
• Quality Care
15

16. Patient Rights – XIII
• Respect
• Patient Advocacy
• Help Prevent Medical Errors
• 20 Tips to Help Prevent medical Errors
16

17. Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality
Preventing Medical Errors -I
• Take responsibility for maximizing healthy habits
– such exercising
– not smoking
– eating a healthy diet
• Be involved in health care decisions
• Work collaboratively with providers
– developing & carrying out agreed-upon treatment
plans
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18. Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality
Preventing Medical Errors -II
• Disclose relevant information
• Clearly communicate wants & needs
• Use the health plan’s internal complaint & appeal
processes to address concerns that may arise
• Avoid knowingly spreading disease
• Recognize reality of risks & limits of the science of
medical care & the human fallibility of the health care
professional
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19. Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality
Preventing Medical Errors -III
• Be aware of a health care provider’s obligation to be
reasonably efficient & equitable in providing care to
other patients
• Become knowledgeable about health plan coverage &
health plan options
• Show respect for other patients & health worker
• Make effort to meet financial obligations
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20. Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality
Preventing Medical Errors -IV
• Abide by administrative & operational procedures of
health plans, healthcare providers, & government
health benefit programs
• Report wrongdoing & fraud

21. Patient Responsibilities – I
• Recognize effect of lifestyle on one’s health
• Maintain a record of medications & their effects
• Keep appointments
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22. Patient Responsibilities – II
• Provide full disclosure of all information relevant to
one’s medical condition
• Medical complaints
• symptoms
• past illnesses
• treatments
• surgical procedures
• hospitalizations
• medications
22

23. Patient Responsibilities – III
• Report unexpected changes in condition to
caregivers
• Make it known whether or not you understand the
plan of care
• Ask questions to seek clarification of concerns
• Follow treatment plan agreed upon
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24. Patient Responsibilities – IV
• Refrain from self-administration of medications
• Accept responsibility for the consequences of
refusing treatment or not following instructions
• Be considerate of the rights of other
– control of noise
– smoking
– limitation on number of visitors
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25. Patient Responsibilities – V
• Be respectful of the property of others
• Speak up & ask questions
– “What is this medication for?”
– “What diet am I on?”
– “Since you are going to change my dressing,
did you wash your hands?”
• When in doubt, seek a second opinion.
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26. Patient Responsibilities – VI
• Participate in marking the site of a surgical or
other invasive procedure
• Make sure that the staff are aware of your
preferences for care, including who your decision
maker will be in the event that you become
incapacitated.
• Understand caregiver instructions
• Follow an organization’s rules & regulations
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27. REVIEW QUESTIONS - I
1. Describe the significance of the Patient Self-
Determination Act.
2. Describe the rights of patients as reviewed in this
chapter.
3. Describe the responsibilities of patients as
reviewed in this chapter.
4. Should a competent person have a right to refuse
treatment?
5. Why do you think a patient’s responsibilities are as
important as his or her rights?
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28. REVIEW QUESTIONS - II
6. Should a hospital be able to assert whatever
interest the state itself may have in seeking to compel
an unwilling patient to undergo a routine, lifesaving
medical procedure? Explain.
7. Discuss the importance of the patient’s
responsibility to communicate to the staff any
symptoms he or she is experiencing.
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