Patient Rights & Responsibilities | The NeuroMedical Center

The NeuroMedical Center complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and remains committed to delivering medically necessary healthcare to our patients in a compassionate, respectful and ethical manner without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, disability, age, religion, marital status, citizenship, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, and/or other legally protected classification.  Patients are treated with dignity and respect at all times.

Access to Healthcare

The patient has the right to impartial access to medical care, treatment, or accommodations that are available and medically indicated, regardless of age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or disability.

Participation

The patient has the right to formulate an advance medical directive (Living Will/Healthcare Power of Attorney), indicating his/her choices regarding healthcare decisions involving life-prolonging procedures and/or designating someone to make healthcare decisions in the event of later incompetency or incapacity. The patient has the option to review and revise advance directives.  The patient shall receive appropriate medical care regardless of the completion of an advance medical directive.

The patient/legally authorized person has the right to be informed about and participate in making decisions regarding his/her care and services provided.

When the patient is either incompetent, incapacitated, or a minor, the patient’s rights shall be exercised by his/her legally authorized person, as the law allows.  The legally responsible representative approves care, treatment, and service decisions.

The patient, or legally authorized person, has the right to include or exclude any family members from participating in his/her healthcare decisions.

Patients have the right to be involved in resolving dilemmas about   care, treatment and services when there are questions, conflicts, or other dilemmas.

The patient/legally authorized person has the right to be given by his/her physician, information concerning:

  1. Diagnosis
  2. Planned course of treatment
  3. Benefits and risks of treatment
  4. Significant alternatives, including non-treatment
  5. Prognosis

Based on this information, the patient/legally-authorized person has the right to refuse any treatment as permitted by law.  A patient/ legally-authorized person has the right to refuse this information.

The patient/legally authorized person has the right to be involved and participate in all aspects of the patient’s care planning, which   includes but is not limited to:

  1. Treatment plan
  2. Discharge planning
  3. Pain management
  4. Giving informed consent
  5. Formulating advanced medical directives
  6. Making healthcare decisions
  7. Withholding resuscitative services
  8. Making ethical decisions for the patient
  9. Foregoing or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment
  10. Resolving dilemmas about care decisions
  11. Determining care at end of life
  12. Initiating conflict resolution
  13. Approving investigational studies or clinical trials

The patient has the right to be involved in resolving dilemmas regarding admission, treatment, or discharge.

The Patient has the right to pain management.  Patients will be assessed for pain, receive appropriate interventions to manage pain and education regarding their role in managing pain including potential limitations and side effects of pain treatments.

The patient has the right to have grievances, disputes, conflicts, and complaints heard, reviewed and, when possible, resolved.  Patients who voice complaints are not subject to coercion, discrimination, reprisal or unreasonable interruption of care, treatment, and services.  A patient has the right to know the physician’s or hospital’s procedures for expressing a grievance.  The patient/legally-authorized person may contact the person responsible for the patient’s immediate care, a supervisor, or the Hospital administration.  A patient has the right to express grievances to the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals regarding alleged violations of patient rights or the Office of Civil Rights depending on the grievance.

Information

The patient has the right to know the name, function, and qualifications of each physician and healthcare worker who is providing care to the patient in a timely manner.

The patient has a right to the prompt and reasonable response to his/her questions.

The patient has the right to know when, what, or which patient support services are available.

The patient has the right to know what personal health information will be used for.  The patient has the right to access, request amendment to, and receive an accounting of disclosures regarding his/her own health information as permitted under applicable law.

The patient and, when appropriate, their families have the right to be informed about the outcomes of care, including unanticipated outcomes.

The patient has the right to confidentiality of information.  Patient information shall be disclosed only to healthcare professionals with the “need to know.”  Case discussion, consultation, examination,     and treatment shall be conducted discretely with those involved in his/her care.  These interactions shall be held in surroundings that assure reasonable visual and auditory privacy.

The patient/legally-authorized person has the right to review the patient’s medical record upon request.

The patient has the right to know what rules and regulations apply to patient conduct.

Dignity

The patient has the right to care that is considerate and respectful, with recognition of his/her personal individual dignity, values, self-image, and beliefs.

The Patient has the right to be free from restraints of any form that are not medically necessary or used as a means of coercion, discipline, convenience or retaliation by staff.

Patients have the right to be free from mental, physical, sexual and verbal abuse, neglect and exploitation.

The patient has the right to express his/her spiritual beliefs and cultural practices, as long as these do not harm others or interfere with treatment or the agreed upon plan of care.

The patient has the right to express his/her needs and concerns about the individual pain experience.  These needs and concerns will be respected and supported through appropriate assessment and management of his/her pain throughout the hospital stay.

The patient retains certain rights to privacy, which shall be respected without regard to the patient’s economic status or payment source.  The patient’s rights to privacy shall be respected to the extent consistent with providing care.

The terminally ill/dying patient has the right to comfort and dignity through the treatment of primary and secondary symptoms as desired by the patient.  Healthcare professionals will be sensitive and supportive to the psycho-social, emotional, and spiritual concerns and coping mechanisms of the patient and family during the grief process.

The patient has the right to retain and use personal clothing and/or possessions unless contraindicated due to medical or safety reasons.

The patient has the right to be free from restraints of any form that are not medically necessary or that are used as a means of coercion, discipline, convenience, or retaliation by staff.

Communication

The patient has the right to effective communication in a manner that he or she can understand.  This includes communication between the hospital and the patient, as well as communication between the patient and others outside the hospital.

The NeuroMedical Center will make appropriate arrangements to ensure that individuals with disabilities and individuals with limited English proficiency are provided auxiliary aids and services or language assistance services.   The patient who is deaf or does not speak English has the right to be provided an interpreter when receiving medical services.

The patient has the right to utilize communication aids and services to facilitate and/or enhance communication that are reasonably available according to the Americans with Disabilities Act and applicable state/federal law.

The patient has the right to expect access to communication.  Communication may, however, be restricted for therapeutic reasons. The restrictions will be explained to the patient and significant other, and documented and evaluated for therapeutic effectiveness.

 Financial Information

The NeuroMedical Center shall, upon request, furnish the patient prior to receiving medical services, a reasonable estimate of charges for services to be provided.  Such reasonable estimate shall not preclude the Hospital from exceeding the estimate or making additional charges based on changes in the patient’s condition, treatment needs, or other factors beyond the control of the Hospital.

The patient has the right to be given, upon request, information and counseling on the availability of known financial resources for the patient’s healthcare.

The patient has the right to receive a copy of an itemized bill upon request, and the patient has a right to be given an explanation of charges upon request, as may be required by applicable state law.

Patient and Family Responsibilities

The patient and family is responsible to provide, to the best of his/her knowledge, accurate and complete information about present medical complaints, past illness, prior hospitalizations, medications, and other matters relating to his/her health.

The patient and family are responsible for reporting to his/her physician whether he/she comprehends a contemplated course of action and what is expected of him/her.

Patients and their families must report perceived risks in their care and unexpected changes in their condition.

The patient and family are responsible for following the treatment plan recommended by the physician once it has been agreed upon.  They are responsible for informing his/her physician and other healthcare professionals when he/she anticipates a problem in following the agreed upon treatment plan.

The patient and family are responsible for refraining from using personal medications or medical devices unless authorized by the physician.

The patient and family is responsible for the outcomes if he/she refuses treatment or does not follow the care, treatment and service plan.

The patient and family are responsible to respect the physician(s) and healthcare facility’s right to expect behavior from the patient, which, considering the nature of his or her illness is reasonable and responsible.

The patient and family are responsible for following the healthcare facilities rules and regulations affecting patient care and conduct.

The patient and family are responsible for being respectful and considerate of the rights and needs of other patients and healthcare workers.  This includes being sensitive to noise level, number of visitors and the hospital’s smoke free facility policy.  The patient is responsible to be respectful of the property of others.

If the patient has completed an advanced medical directive, the patient is responsible for providing a copy of the most current and completed advanced medical directive to the hospital.

The patient is responsible for keeping appointments and when unable to do so, for notifying the physician or healthcare facility.

The patient is responsible for assuring that the financial obligations of his/her healthcare are fulfilled.  The patient/legally authorized person is responsible for providing current and accurate insurance/financial responsibility information at time of registration.