Patient's Rights and Responsibilities

Patient's Rights

• Patients have the right to medical and nursing services without discrimination based on age, race, color, religion, sec, national origin, handicap, disability or source of payment.
• Patients will be treated with respect, consideration and dignity by competent personnel.
• Patients who do not speak English or have other significant communication issues (deafness) will have access to an interpreter.
• Patients have the right to know the person or persons responsible for coordinating their care.  Upon request, they will be provided with the name of their attending practitioner, the names of all other practitioners directly participating in their care and the names and functions of their health care personnel having direct contact with them.  Patients may request to change their specialty physician if another qualified physician is available.
• Patients have the right to an appropriate level of privacy, including privacy of any information or treatment concerning their medical care.  They have the right to be informed of any persons other than routine personnel who might be observing or participating in their treatment.
• Patient record and disclosures will be treated confidentially and all case discussion, consultation, examination or treatment will be considered confidential and conducted discreetly.
• Upon request, the Center will provide the patient or the patient’s designee access to the information contained in the patient’s medical record, unless access is specifically restricted by the attending practitioner for medical reasons.
• Patients have the right to have the records, pertaining to their medical treatment, treated as confidential, except as otherwise provided by law or third party contractual arrangements.  When it is their right, patients will be given the opportunity to approve or refuse the release of their records
• Patients are given an opportunity to participate in decision involving their care.  They have the right to full information, presented in layman’s terms, concerning their diagnosis, treatment and prognosis, including information about alternative treatments and possible complications.  When it is not medically advisable to give the information to the patient, the information will be given to a responsible person designated by the patient or to a legally authorized person.
• Patents have the right to receive, from their physician, enough information so that they may understand the procedure or treatment being received to give their informed consent.  Except for emergencies, the practitioner will provide all such necessary information for consent prior to the start of the procedure or treatment.
• Patients have the right to expect emergency procedures to be implemented without unnecessary delay.  When an emergency occurs and the patient is transferred to another facility, a designated responsible person will be notified.  The institution to which the patient is to be transferred will be notified prior to the patient’s transfer.
• Patients have the right to expect quality of care and service from the Center.  They have the right to expect that sound management techniques will be implemented within the Center and that these techniques will make effective use of the time of the patient and avoid the personal discomfort of the patient.
• Patients have the right to know the methods for expressing grievances and suggestions to the Redbank Surgery Center.
• Patients have the right to know in advance the expected amount of their bills.
• Patients have the right to examine and receive and explanation of their bills, regardless of source of payment.
• Patients have the right to be informed of their rights at the time of admission to the Center.
• Patients have the right to know what Redbank Surgery Center rules and regulations apply to their conduct and responsibilities as patients.
• All marketing/advertising, regarding the Center shall not be misleading in regard to the Center’s competence and capabilities.
• Upon request, a patient will be provided with a copy of the Center’s malpractice insurance face sheet.  If at any time the Center would not have malpractice coverage, Center operations will cease.  All physicians practicing in the Center must have valid malpractice insurance coverage.  The absence of malpractice insurance on the part of the practitioner will result in the immediate revocation of privileges.

Patients Responsibilities

• It is the patient’s responsibility to read and understand all permits and consents he or she signs.  If the patient does not understand, it is the patient’s responsibility to ask the nurse or practitioner for clarification.
• It is the patient’s responsibility to answer all medical questions truthfully and to the best of his or her knowledge and to provide accurate and complete information about his or her present complaint, past illness, hospitalizations, medications and other matters relating to his or her health.
• The patient has the responsibility to report unexpected changes in his or her condition to the responsible practitioner. 
• The patient is responsible for reporting whether he or she clearly comprehends a contemplated course of action and what is expected of him or her.
• The patient is responsible for his or her actions if he or she refuses treatment.
• It is the patient’s responsibility to read carefully and to follow all pre-operative instructions given by his or her physician and the Redbank Surgery Center.
• It is the patient’s responsibility to provide transportation, as directed, to and from the Redbank Surgery Center.  Selected modes of transportation will be appropriate to the medications and/or anesthetics the patient will be receiving.
• It is the patient’s responsibility to read carefully and to follow all post-operative instructions received from his or her attending physician and nurses, including information regarding post-operative follow-up appointments.
• It is the patient’s responsibility to contact his or her physician directly if he or she experiences any complications following surgery.
• Patients are responsible for following Center rules and regulations relating to patient care and conduct.
• Patients are responsible for being considerate of the rights of other patients, visitors and Center personnel and for assisting in control of noise, unauthorized smoking and the number of visitors.
• Patients are responsible for being respectful of the property of the Center and other persons.
• It is the patient’s responsibility to ensure that all payments for services rendered by Redbank Surgery Center are made in a timely basis and to understand that ultimate financial responsibility for services rendered by the Center are his or hers, regardless of the type of insurance coverage he or she may have.
• It is the patient’s responsibility to notify the Administrator of Redbank Surgery Center if he or she feels that any rights have been violated or if the patient has a significant complaint or a suggestion for the improvement of services or quality of care.  This can be accomplished by filling out he Center’s Patient Survey or by direct contact.
• When the patient is a child, adolescent or ward, the parent(s) legal guardian will assume all of the above rights and responsibilities on behalf of the patient.