Patient Rights and Responsibilities
Patients receiving care at Black River Memorial Hospital can expect their rights to be respected. Patients that are well informed, participate in treatment decisions, and communicate openly with their providers help to make their care as effective as possible. Patients also hold responsibilities related to receiving effective care. These rights and responsibilities will be presented to and shared with the patient or legal representative in advance of beginning or discontinuing patient care whenever possible.
Patient Rights
Patient care will be designed to meet the basic rights of nondiscrimination, respect, privacy, information, safety, and participation in care.
Nondiscrimination. Individuals shall be accorded impartial access to treatment or accommodations that are available or medically indicated, regardless of race, color, creed, sex, national origin, beliefs, values, conviction record, language, functional status, age, marital status, newborn status, disability, and/or source of payment for care.
Respect and Dignity. Each patient has the right to have his or her cultural, psychosocial, spiritual and personal values, beliefs, lifestyle choices related to sexual orientation and preferences respected with recognition of his/her personal dignity.
Privacy and Confidentiality. The patient has the right within the laws to personal and informational privacy, as manifested by the right to:
- Refuse to talk with or see anyone not officially connected with the hospital, including visitors, or persons officially connected with the hospital who are not directly involved in his/her care.
- Privately communicate with persons of their choice in the hospital or community.
- Wear appropriate personal clothing and religious or other symbolic items, as long as they do not interfere with diagnostic procedures or treatment.
- Be interviewed and examined in surroundings designed to assure reasonable privacy with regard to being seen or overheard by others. This includes the right to have a person of one’s own gender present during certain parts of a physical examination, treatment or procedure performed by a health professional of the opposite sex. Provisions will be made to eliminate exposure any longer than is required for the examination or procedures.
- Expect that any discussion or consultation involving his/her case will be conducted discreetly, and that individuals not directly involved in his/her care will not be present without his/her permission.
- Have his/her medical record read only by individuals directly involved in his/her treatment or the monitoring of its quality and by other individuals only on his/her written authorization or that of his/her legally authorized representative.
- Expect all communications and other records pertaining to his/her care, including the source of payment for treatment, to be treated as confidential.
- Be placed in protective privacy when considered necessary for personal safety.
Information – The patient or legal representative has the right to:
- Be informed of the hospital rules and regulations applicable to his/her conduct.
- Have unlimited access to people outside the hospital by means of visitors, and by verbal and written communication. This includes notification of family and friends of the patient’s admission, if requested.
- Have a family member or representative of their choice and their own physician notified promptly of admission to the hospital.
- Examine and receive an explanation of his/her medical record.
- Request and receive an itemized explanation of his/her total bill, regardless of the source of payment for his/her care.
- Timely notice prior to termination of his/her eligibility for reimbursement by any third party payer for the cost of his/her care.
- To access, request amendment to and receive an accounting of how the hospital uses, keeps, and discloses their health information as permitted under applicable law.
- Receive information on Advance Directives upon admission.
- Right to interpretation for individuals who speak languages other than English. Alternative communication techniques or aides are used to address the needs of those with vision, speech, hearing and cognitive impairments.
- Be informed of the right to pastoral and other spiritual services.
Safety – The patient has the right to:
- Receive care in a safe environment and be free from all forms of abuse, harassment, neglect, or exploitation, including, but not limited to, mental, physical, sexual and verbal abuse.
- Be treated in a safe and tobacco-free environment.
- Protective and advocacy services when considered necessary for personal safety.
- Be free from chemical and physical restraints or seclusion in any form that are not medically necessary. Restraint or seclusion may only be imposed to ensure the immediate physical safety of the patient, a staff member or others and must be discontinued at the earliest possible time. Restraints are used only if less restrictive interventions have been unsuccessful. They will be utilized in the least restrictive manner possible and in accordance with a physician’s order.
Participation in Care – The patient or legal representative has the right to:
- Know the identity and professional status of individuals providing service to him/her, and to know which physician or other practitioner is primarily responsible for his/her care. Patients also have a right to refuse care from specified practitioners.
- Obtain from the practitioner responsible for coordinating his/her care, complete and current information concerning his/her diagnosis (to the degree known), treatment, and any known prognosis. This information should be communicated in terms the patient can reasonably be expected to understand. Patients are informed about the outcomes of care including unanticipated outcomes.
- Participate to the fullest extent possible and make informed decisions in the development, implementation, outcomes and revisions of his/her plan of care.
- Know who is responsible for authorizing and performing the procedures for treatment.
- Be involved in decisions and resolving dilemmas about care, treatment and services provided. Except in emergencies, the consent of the patient or the patient’s legally authorized representative shall be obtained before treatment is provided.
- Request an ethics committee consult when he/she experiences dilemmas about their care, treatment or services.
- Consult with a specialist, at his/her own request and expense.
- Refuse medical care or surgical treatment and services in accordance with law and regulation with the exception of emergencies. Medical consequences of the refusal are explained. When refusal of treatment by the patient or his/her legally authorized representative prevents the provision of appropriate care in accordance with ethical and professional standards, the relationship with the patient may be terminated upon reasonable notice.
- Be assessed and effectively treated for his/her pain.
- Except in emergencies, remain in the facility unless he/she has received a complete explanation of the need for transfer, and provision is made for continuing care and acceptance by the receiving facility.
- May request consultation with hospice/homecare to learn about options for end-of-life care.
- Formulate an Advance Directive relating to end-of-life decisions such as a Power of Attorney for Health Care and to have health care providers comply with those directives.
- Give consent for recording or filming produced for purposes other than identification, diagnosis or treatment.
- Be informed by the responsible practitioner or his/her delegate of any continuing health care requirements following discharge from the hospital.
Patient Responsibilities
Patients or their legal representative have the responsibility to be actively involved in their care through the following:
- Providing to the best of his/her knowledge, accurate and complete information about past illnesses, hospitalizations, medications, and other matters relating to his/her health.
- Reporting unexpected changes in his/her condition to the responsible practitioner.
- Provide timely feedback when expectations in the environment or service have not been met and when it is felt something may not be the way it should be. Making it known whether he/she clearly comprehends a contemplated course of action and what is expected of him/her.
- Following the treatment plan recommended by the practitioner 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 practitioner’s orders, and as they enforce the applicable hospital rules and regulations.
- Keeping appointments and, when he/she is unable to do so, notify the responsible practitioner or the hospital.
- Accepting the outcomes of his/her actions if he/she refuses treatment or does not follow the practitioner’s instructions.
- Providing required information concerning payment of charges and assuring that the financial obligation of his/her health care is fulfilled as promptly as possible.
- Being considerate of the rights of other patients and hospital personnel, and for assisting in the control of noise, tobacco use, and the number of visitors.
- Being respectful of the property of other persons and of the hospital.
- Cooperate with hospital staff in observing safety regulations and policies.
- Following hospital rules and regulations affecting patient care and conduct.
- Observing the ban on tobacco use on the hospital property.
Patient Concerns/Complaints
The patient has the right to be informed in writing about hospital procedures for initiation, review and resolution of patient complaints. Black River Memorial Hospital strives to ensure that patients who select our hospital for health care have their expectations met. To this end they may voice grievances and recommend changes in policies and services to hospital staff and/or outside representatives of their choice, free from restraint, interference coercion, or discrimination of reprisal.
Advise Us of Any Dissatisfaction
- If a patient has a grievance or a complaint to file, the hospital has a process available to them. The purpose of this process is to improve the quality of care and services to our patients.
- The first step of the process is to notify any staff member of a grievance or complaint. If unable to resolve the issue, the staff member will advise patients on how to begin the grievance process or will immediately put them in contact with someone who can assist. Patients can also contact Mary Beth White-Jacobs, Director of Patient Care Services, at 715-284-5361 or e-mail at whitejacobsm@brmh.net.
Patients with questions or concerns with billing information can contact our Patient Financial Counselor at (715) 284-1368.
Patients may also voice, or mail Concerns/Complaints to the following licensing agencies:
The Joint Commission:
Office of Quality Monitoring
One Renaissance Boulevard
Oakbrook Terrace, Il 60181
1-800-994-6610
Email complaint@jcaho.org
Metastar:
Medicare Quality Improvement
2902 Landmark Place
Madison, WI 53713
1-608-274-1940
Division of Quality Assurance:
P.O. Box 2969
Madison, WI 53701-2969
1-608-264-9888