When we patients access healthcare, we do so expecting we have certain rights. The wiser patients also realize that along with those patient's rights, we have responsibilities, too.
As Americans, we have a sense of being entitled to certain rights based on our federal Bill of Rights and judicial heritage. When those rights are violated, we have the ability to pursue justice through the legal system.
Patients' rights are very different. There are few rights that are clearly spelled out, except those that regard privacy or the ability to obtain our medical records, as determined through the federal HIPAA Act. Individual states have enacted other laws that usually impact only hospital care.
More often, individual facilities (like hospitals) or physician practices will offer up their own list of patients' rights. However, it's unclear as to whether those could ever be enforced if there is a problem.
However, there are a number of rights that are accepting as being true, even though they may not be officially recorded anywhere. Some are simply based on respect. Others are based on our responsibilities as human beings. Others have evolved as the need warrants.
Consider these Patients' Rights
- The Right to Be Treated with Respect
- The Right to Make a Treatment Choice
- The Right to Refuse Treatment
- The Right to Obtain Your Medical Records
- The Right to Privacy of Your Medical Records
- The Right to Informed Consent
- The Right to Make Decisions About End-of-Life Care
The entitlement of patients' rights for Americans is accompanied by patients' responsibilities, too. In order to get the best care, and find our most successful medical outcomes, we must adhere to these responsibilities.
Consider these Patients' Responsibilities<
- Maintaining Healthy Habits
- Being Respectful to Providers
- Being Honest With Providers
- Complying with Treatment Plans
- Preparing for Emergencies
- Reading Behind the Headlines
- Making Decisions Responsibly
- Understanding Prescription Drugs and Their Possible Effects
- Meeting Financial Obligations
- Reporting Fraud and Wrongdoing
- Avoiding Putting Others at Risk
No discussion of patients' rights and responsibilities would be complete without a discussion of those rights we may believe we are entitled to, but, in fact, are not rights for healthcare in the US.
Consider These Missing Healthcare Rights
- Access to Healthcare (that's right - in America today, we do not have the right to get healthcare)
- The Right to Total Privacy of Our Medical Records
Wise patients understand all three: their rights, their responsibilities, and the rights they don't have. Understanding them will make it easier to get the care and outcomes they seek.
