Patient Rights & Responsibilities
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Decision Effective Date: This organization is in full compliance with all applicable standards.
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Patient rights and responsibilities
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Advance Directives! Medical Power of Attorney! Out-ot-Hospital DNRFederal law requires that we give you information about your right to make advance health care decisions. Right now you may be able to make your own health care decisions. However, you may not always be able to make such decisions. By giving advance directions, you can tell your doctor and your family about the medical care you would like to receive. You can also name a person who can accept or refuse treatment for you when you are unable to make such decisions yourself.You can name a person to make medical treatment decisions for you by completing a "Medical Power of Attorney': This person is allowed to make health care decisions for you, if your doctor determines that you are no longer able to make your own health care decisions.You can also record advance directions about life support by completing an Advanced Directives Form. This is often called a "Living Will". A Living Will tells your doctor and your family about the types of life support and treatment that you would want provided or withheld in case you are ever kept alive by artificial means and in case you can not make the decision yourself.If you already have an Advanced Directive, Living Will, or a Medical Power of Attorney, please tell your doctor and this hospital. We need to place a copy of the document in your medical chart in order to be sure that your wishes are honored. If you need more information on how to name a Medical Power of Attorney or how to make a Living Will, please feel free to ask your nurse for help. A blank Living Will or a Medical Power of Attorney is available and someone will assist you with its completion. If have not completed any of these documents, you can discuss your wishes with your doctors and they well record your wishes for you.It is a policy of this hospital to honor a patient's health care decisions to the full extent allowed by law. You are not required to give advance health care directions in order to receive care at this hospital.
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Every patient admitted to, or treated at UMMC, including patient's legal representative or parent/guardian of minors, has a defined list of rights. You should have received a document upon admission outlining your rights and responsibilities as a patient. If you did not, or would like another copy, please contact your nurse or the patient advocate.If you or your family has a concern regarding the care that you are receiving at UMMC, please contact your nurse/manager for assistance in resolving your concerns. Call the operator and ask to have the Manager/Administration paged immediately. As a patient you have the right to:
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A reasonable response to requests and need for treatment or services within the hospital's capacity, its stated mission and applicable law and regulation.
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Information necessary to help you to make treatment decisions that are what you would like to have done.
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Receive, at the time of admission, information about the hospital's patient rights policy.
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Know how to make a complaint concerning the quality of care and to have someone review the complaint and, when possible, resolve the complaint.
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Considerate and respectful care based upon your psychosocial, spiritual, and cultural needs.
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Care that provides comfort and dignity through treatment based upon the wishes of you or your appointed decision-maker.
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Effective management of any pain that you have.
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Psychosocial and spiritual support regarding dying and the expression of grief.
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Make decisions, in partnership with your physicians. involving your health care. This includes the right to:
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Accept medical care or to refuse medical care or treatment to the extent allowed by law and be informed of the medical outcomes of refusal
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Prepare an advance directive and appoint someone to make health care decisions on your behalf as allowed by law. The provision of care shall not be conditioned on the existence of an advance directive.
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Have your advance directive placed in your medical record and have it reviewed to make sure that it is what you want.
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Participate in the solving of any ethical issues that arise during your care.
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Be informed of any human experimentation or other research of educational projects affecting your care of treatment.
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Personal privacy and confidentiality of information within the limits of the law.
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Access to the information contained in your medical records, within the limits of the law. Your guardian, next of kin, or legally authorized responsible person can apply these rights as allowed by law on your behalf if you are:
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Found to be incompetent by a court of law
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Found by a physician to be medically incapable of understanding the proposed treatment or procedure
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Unable to communicate your wishes regarding treatment
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A minor
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As a patient you are responsible
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To provide, to the best of your knowledge, accurate and complete information. You have the responsibility to report unexpected changes in your condition to your doctor and your nurses.
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For reporting whether you understand clearly the treatment plan or procedure that is planned and what you are expected to do.
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For following the treatment plan recommended by your doctor.
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For following the instructions of nurses and other health personnel as they carry out the coordinated plan of care and your doctors' orders.
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For following the hospital rules and regulations as they apply to your care and your conduct.
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For own actions if you refuse treatment or if you do not follow instructions.
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For making sure that any financial obligations for health care are paid.
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For being considerate of the rights of other patients and hospital personnel.
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For being respectful of the property of other patients and of the hospital.
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How to file a complaint
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I understand that I may follow hospital procedure for voicing a complaint or grievance. I may voice my complaint directly to any staff member. I may voice my grievance to the manager/director of the area in which I am located. Notwithstanding hospital policy and procedure, I may also submit my grievance to:
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Ashley Alefs - Risk Manager: 620-791-6280
Center for Improvement in Healthcare Quality
P.O. Box 3620
McKinney, TX 75070
Phone: 866-324-5080
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