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What are "patient rights"?

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As a patient, you can expect certain things from UPMC Hamot staff. These are your "rights" as a patient. For example, you have the right to ask about your care and about the people who are caring for you.

Will there be things that I must do as a patient?

There are also things that we are counting on you to do as a partner in your own healthcare. These are "responsibilities" that you have to yourself, to other patients, to the healthcare professionals, which may include doctors, physician's assistants, nurse practitioners, residents and other staff. For example, we are counting on you to be as involved as you can, make decisions about your care, ask questions, etc. We care about your needs. Together, as partners, we will be able to do the best job to meet those needs. To ensure that you know what you can expect from us and are aware of things we are counting on you to do as our partner, we use a Patients' Bill of Rights and Responsibilities.

What are my "rights"?

You are a partner in your own healthcare. Therefore, you have a right to:

  • Be informed about your health status and be involved in planning your care and treatment.
  • Ask for and to know the names and functions of all healthcare professionals who are treating you and/or staff members who have direct contact with you.
  • Make an "Advance Directive" (a Living Will or Durable Power of Attorney) if you choose. These are written papers stating your choices about healthcare if, for some reason, you would not be able to make these choices for yourself. These papers also may name someone to make choices for you if you cannot. We suggest that you discuss this with your family and your healthcare professional. Your Advance Directive will be taken into consideration at the appropriate time when planning your treatment. It is UPMC Hamot's policy to honor a valid Advance Directive. However, in the event of a cardiac or respiratory arrest, all patients will be resuscitated unless the physician has placed a "Do Not Resuscitate" order on the patient's chart.
  • Expect that, except in an emergency, before starting any test or treatment of significant risk, your healthcare professional must have your "informed consent." This means that the details - such as diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, other options, risks and complications - will be talked over with you. You will be asked to sign that you have received the information and agree to have the test or treatment done. If, at the time, your healthcare professional feels you are not competent to discuss the details of your care, he or she should talk over the details on your behalf with a family member or other person close to you.
  • Be told about any UPMC Hamot rules that may affect your wishes or your responsibilities (the things we are counting on you to do).
  • Accept or refuse any medication, treatment or procedure (including forgoing or withdrawing life support or withholding resuscitation services), and to leave UPMC Hamot if you so choose. If you feel you must make these choices, we ask that you talk with your healthcare professional. Your healthcare professional should explain to you what could happen to your health or condition if you make these choices.
  • Seek advice from another healthcare professional at your own request and expense.
  • Be given instructions about continuing health needs, which may include caring for yourself at home. If you are an inpatient, these will be given before you go home. Feel free to ask any questions.
  • Consent or decline to be in any research or donor projects that are proposed to you and to have someone fully explain the project to you before you decide to sign a consent form. If you decline, you will have the most effective care that UPMC Hamot can otherwise provide. You may at any time refuse to remain in a program for which you have already given consent.

If you are a Medicare patient, you also have the right to:

  • Appeal your discharge if you feel that you are being discharged too soon. If you want to appeal, you must contact the Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) before your planned discharge date and before you leave the hospital. To contact the QIO, call 1-800-32-1914. Please also refer to the notice of rights document you received when you were admitted into the hospital. This document contains more information on how to appeal your discharge. If you do not have this notice r you have questions about the appeal process, please ask your case manager or contact the Case Management department at 814-877-2614.
  • To be notified of any non-coverage beneficiary discharge rights. If your appeal of a premature discharge is not approved, you may be responsible to pay a portion of your hospital charges that would total no more than the cost for one day's care. Please review the notice of rights you received when you are admitted into the hospital for more details.

We will give you the best care we can give. Therefore, you can expect:

  • To be cared for by trained staff and to be treated with respect.
  • That UPMC Hamot always will work to maintain standards of quality and expert care.
  • Any emergency treatment to be started without needless delay.
  • That staff will appropriately assess and manage any pain you have.
  • If admitted, to have a family member or representative as well as your own doctor notified promptly on admission.
  • That UPMC Hamot will plan for your comfort and safety. UPMC Hamot strives to be a restraint-free hospital. However, in some cases, it may become necessary to use restraints in order to provide care or to assure patient and staff safety.
  • That UPMC Hamot will make the best use of your time.
  • To be free from all forms of abuse and harassment.
  • To know or to be able to ask about any business relationship between the hospital, payers and other healthcare providers that might affect your treatment and care.
  • If you are an inpatient and your healthcare professional feels you should be transferred to another facility, to be given information and have the need for the transfer explained.

Your care and your records will be kept private. Therefore, you can expect:

  • That any exam, treatment, consults or talk about your care will be done in a discreet manner.
  • Confidentiality of your records, except as allowed by law or insurance contracts. You can expect that your records will not be released to those not involved with your case unless you permit this in writing.
  • You may ask to see information in your record. First, though, you should discuss this with your healthcare professional, because is some cases, access may be limited for medical or legal reasons. Unless these reasons prevent us, we will let you see your records when you ask. If you request and are given a copy of your records, you will be charged a fee for copying.

All patients have equal rights. Therefore, you can expect:

  • To be free from discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, age, sex, national origin or ancestry, marital status, sexual preference, veteran's status, status as a qualified individual with a disability, ability to pay or any other legally protected characteristic. Also, we will make every effort to accommodate your special needs and requirements. (This includes calling the Tele-Language Line or trying to arrange for someone to interpret for you if you do not speak English.)

You may have details about your bill. Therefore, you may:

  • Ask for a statement of your bill in detail.
  • Ask to know more about sources that might help pay for services.
  • Know that you may receive a separate bill for radiology, anesthesia, lab work or other physician services. UPMC Hamot does not collect these bills, and questions you have should be asked of the billing physician or service.

What are my "responsibilities"?

For the best of care, we are counting on you to work with us. You can help us by:

Being a partner in your care.

We are counting on you to:

  • Take an active part in making decisions about your care.
  • Give, as best you can, truthful and complete facts about current health problems and complaints, past illnesses, past hospital stays, medication you take and other matters related to your health.
  • Report any changes in your condition to your healthcare professional.
  • Let us know whether or not you clearly understand the plans being made for your care and the things you are being asked to do.
  • Ask any questions you have of your healthcare professional or other UPMC Hamot personnel.
  • Provide us with the information needed for your insurance. We ask that you be prompt in asking any questions about your bill and in seeing that it is paid. Please ask if you would like to know more about sources that might help to pay for services.
  • Be considerate of other patients and see that your guests are also, especially in regard to noise, "no smoking" rules, limits on the number of guests and times of visits, and respect for the property of UPMC Hamot and others. UPMC Hamot rules in this regard are for the comfort and safety of all patients and to allow for the hospital to function in an efficient and orderly way.

Following your healthcare professional's orders.

We are counting on you to:

  • Follow the treatment plan that your healthcare professional advises and keep all appointments made for you. If you have problems with following these orders or treatment plans, or with keeping appointments, we are counting on you to talk with your healthcare professional, or other UPMC Hamot staff.*

*You are responsible for your actions and must sign a consent form if you choose to refuse any medication or treatment or to leave UPMC Hamot against medical advice. When you leave against medical advice, your bill may not be covered by insurance.

At UPMC Hamot, we believe that you deserve the best. We pledge to give you the best service we can and care for you as we would for a member of our family. We will give clear, complete information before and during your care and treatment, attend to your needs promptly, act as expert caregivers, welcome your questions, talk frankly with you and keep your case private. We welcome your comments about the care that you are given. Your comments help us here at UPMC Hamot to give the best care that we can to all of our patients. If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to speak with your healthcare professional, social worker or any UPMC Hamot staff member.

If you have a concern or a complaint about patient care and safety, we encourage you to contact a Medical Center Patient Representative at 814-877-3767. We will make every effort to resolve your concern within the shortest time possible.

If the issue is not resolved to your satisfaction, you have the option to contact either the Joint Commission's Office of Quality Monitoring by calling 1-800-994-6610 or emailing complaint@jcaho.org OR the Pennsylvania Department of Health at 1-800-254-5164.