Your Rights as a Patient
Access to Care
Individuals shall be accorded impartial access to treatment or accommodations that are available or medically indicated, regardless of age, race, color, sexual orientation, marital status, creed, sex, cultural, economic, educational, religious background, national origin, or sources of payment of care.
Respect and Dignity
The patient has the right to considerate, respectful care and recognition of his/her personal dignity at all times under all circumstances and the right to be free of all forms of abuse and harassment.
Communication
The patient has the right of access to people outside the practice by means of visitors and by verbal and written communication.
When the patient does not speak or understand the predominant language of the community (English), he/she will be provided an interpreter or access interpreter services via a phone interpreter.
Consent
The patient has the right to reasonable informed participation in decisions involving his/her health care. To the degree possible, this is based on a clear, concise explanation of the condition and of all proposed technical procedures, including the possibilities of any risk of mortality or serious side effects, problems related to recuperation, and probability of success.
The patient will not be subjected to any procedure without his/her voluntary, competent, and understanding consent or that of a legally authorized representative. Where medically significant alternatives for care or treatment exist, the patient will be so informed.
The patient has the right to know who is responsible for authorizing and performing the procedures or treatment.
The patient will be informed if the practice proposes to engage in or perform experimentation or other research/educational projects affecting his/her care or treatment and the patient has the right to refuse to participate in any such activity.
The patient has the right to refuse personal care by any class of students assigned to the practice for training purposes.
Personal Safety
The patient has the right to expect reasonable safety insofar as W2WMC and the environment are concerned.
Identity
The patient has the right to know the identity and professional status of individuals providing service and to know which physician or other practitioner is primarily responsible for his/her care. This includes the patient’s right to know of the existence of any professional relationship among individuals who are providing treatment, as well as the relationship to any other health care or educational institutions involved in his/her care. Participation by patients in clinical training programs or in the gathering of data for research purposes is voluntary. The patient has the right to request physician’s credentials.
Information
The patient has the right to obtain, from the practitioner responsible for coordinating his/her care, complete and current information concerning diagnosis (to the degree known), treatment, and any known prognosis. This information will be communicated in terms the patient can reasonably be expected to understand. When it is not medically advisable to give such information to the patient, the information will be made available to a legally authorized individual.
Privacy and Confidentiality
The patient has the right, within the law, to personal and informational privacy, as manifested by the following rights:
• To refuse to talk with or see anyone not officially connected with W2WMC, including visitors or personnel officially connected with the practice but not directly involved in his/her care (See HIPAA Policies).
• To wear appropriate personal clothing and religious or other symbolic items, as long as they do not interfere with diagnostic procedures or treatment.
• To be interviewed and examined in surroundings designed to assure reasonable visual and auditory privacy. This includes the right to have a person of one’s own sex present during certain parts of a physical examination, treatment, or procedure performed by a health professional of the opposite sex and the right not to remain disrobed any longer than is required for accomplishing the medical purpose for which the patient was asked to disrobe.
• To expect that any discussion or consultation involving his/her case will be conducted discreetly and that individuals directly involved in his/her care will not be present without his/her permission.
• To have his/her medical record accessed only by individuals directly involved in his/her treatment or the monitoring of its quality and by other individuals only on written authorization or that of a legally authorized representative.
• To expect all communications and other records pertaining to his/her care, including the source of payment for treatment, to be treated as confidential.
Consultation
The patient, at his/her own request and expense, has the right to consult with a specialist.
Refusal of Treatment
The patient may refuse treatment to the extent permitted by law. When refusal of treatment by the patient or his/her legally authorized representative prevents the provision of appropriate care in accordance with professional standards, and the patient is fully informed of the consequences of his/her actions, the relationship with the patient may be terminated upon reasonable notice.
The patient has the right to formulate advance directives. The patient has the right to leave the practice even against the advice of physicians.
Transfer and Continuity of Care
A patient may not be transferred to another facility unless he/she has received a complete explanation of the need for the transfer and of the alternatives of such a transfer and unless the transfer is acceptable to the other facility. The patient has the right to be informed by the practitioner responsible for his/her care, or his/her delegate, of any continuing health care requirements following discharge from W2WMC.
Center Charges
Regardless of the source of payment for care, the patient has the right to request and receive an itemized and detailed explanation of his/her total bill for services rendered at the practice.
Center Rules and Regulations
The patient should be informed of W2WMC rules and regulations applicable to his/her conduct as a patient. Patients are entitled to information about the practice’s mechanism for the initiation, review, and resolution of patient complaints.
Pain Management
The patient has the right to have pain assessed and managed as part of the treatment process.
Incompetent
If a patient is adjudged incompetent under applicable State Health & 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.
Your Responsibilities as a Patient
Compliance with Instructions
A patient is responsible for following the treatment plan recommended by the provider primarily responsible for his/her care. This may include following the instructions of nurses and allied health personnel as they carry out the coordinated plan of care and implement the responsible provider’s orders, and as they enforce the applicable W2WMC rules and regulations. The patient is responsible for keeping appointments and when they are unable to do so for any reason, for notifying the practice.
Refusal of Treatment
The patient is responsible for his/her actions if he/she refuses treatment or does not follow the practitioner’s instructions.
Center Charges
The patient is responsible for assuring that the financial obligations of his/her health care are fulfilled as promptly as possible. The practice will assist with the processing of claims; however, the ultimate responsibility falls to the patient and/or legal family members.
Center Rules and Regulations
The patient is responsible for following W2WMC rules and regulations affecting patient care and conduct.
Respect and Consideration
The patient is responsible for being considerate of the rights of other patients, visitors, and W2WMC personnel for assisting in the control of noise, abusive language or behavior, no smoking, and the number of visitors. The patient is responsible for being respectful of the property of other persons and the practice. The patient may be held responsible for any damage to the W2WMC property or equipment.
Information
The patient is responsible to make sure he/she understands all information regarding the implications of his/her symptoms, his/her surgery or procedure (if applicable) and any risks related to having or declining such surgery or procedure, the expected outcomes of the plan of care outlines be his/her physician, and his/her responsibilities with regard to that plan of care. Indicate whether you clearly understand a contemplated course of action and what is expected of you.
Advance Directives
Inform his/her provider about any living will, medical power of attorney or other directive (Advanced Directives) that could affect his or her care.
Responsible Party
The patient must have a responsible adult to transport them home after surgery.