Patient Rights & Responsibilities

This Patient Rights & Responsibilities Policy specifically applies to those patients admitted to the Hospital and is in accordance with federal and state regulations. As you are aware, your health care is our primary function and consideration, and the provision of health care requires a cooperative effort by the Hospital staff and you, the patient.

To carry out your part of this cooperative effort, it is important for you, as the patient, to be informed of and understand what you may expect and what is expected of you – in other words, your rights and responsibilities.

You have the right to receive this Patient Rights and Responsibilities Policy in a language you can understand and have it explained to you or your legal representative in a language you can understand.

YOUR RIGHTS

Reasonable Response

You have the right to the Hospital’s reasonable response to your requests and needs for treatment or service, within the Hospital’s capacity, its stated mission, and applicable laws and regulations.

Representative

You have the right to have your rights explained to your guardian, next of kin, or legally authorized responsible person, to the extent permitted by law, when:

  • You have been adjudicated incompetent under the laws of the State; or
  • You have been determined to be medically incapable of understanding the information provided to you by your physician; or
  • You are unable to communicate your wishes regarding treatment; or
  • You are a minor.

Notification to Family Members/Representative

You have the right to have your family members or representative notified of your admission to the Hospital.

Charges

You have the right to receive detailed information about your hospital and physician charges.

Informed Consent

You have the right to the information necessary to enable you or your authorized representative to make treatment decisions that reflect your wishes. You have the right to expect that your caregivers will help you understand the treatment choices and risks and what will happen if you are not treated. You have the right to participate in decisions regarding the development and implementation of your plan of care and make informed decisions regarding your care. If you are unable to participate in these decisions, these rights shall be exercised by your designated representative or other legally designated person. You or your patient representative (As allowed under state law), in collaboration with you physician, have the right to make informed decisions regarding your care, including the right to accept medical care or refuse treatment to the extent permitted by law and to be informed of the medical consequences of such refusal.

You have the right to receive information regarding medically significant alternatives to care or treatment when such care and/or treatment exist and when you request information concerning medical alternatives.

You have the right to get a list of all of your current medicines.

Advance Directives

You have the right to formulate advance directives and to appoint a surrogate to make health care decisions on your behalf to the extent permitted by law. Advance directives are written instructions recognized under state law relating to the provision of health care when individuals are unable to communicate their wishes regarding medical treatment. The advance directive may be a written document authorizing an agent or surrogate to make decisions on an individual’s behalf (a medical power of attorney for health care), a written verbal statement (a living will), or some other form of instruction recognized under state law specifically addressing the provisions of health care. The Hospital has a mechanism in place to ascertain the existence of and, as appropriate, assist in the development of advance directives at the time of your admission to the Hospital. The care delivered to you will not be conditioned on the existence of an advance directive.

Ethical Issues

You or your designated representative has the right to participate in the consideration of ethical issues that arise in your care. The Hospital has a mechanism for the consideration of ethical issues arising in the course of a patient’s treatment and provides education to care givers and patients on ethical issues in health care.

Independence

You have a right to be free from interference, coercion, discrimination, or reprisal. You have the right to manage your personal financial affairs. You have the right to be free from all forms of abuse or harassment.

Restraint

You have the right to be free from restraint and /or seclusion in any form that is not medically required. Restraint or seclusion may only be imposed to ensure the immediate physical safety of you, a staff member, or others and must be discontinued at the earliest possible time. Restraint or seclusion may only be used when less restrictive interventions have been determined to be ineffective to protect you, a staff member, or others from harm. The type or technique of restraint or seclusion used must be the least restrictive intervention that will be effective to protect you, a staff member, or others from harm.

You have the right to be free from mental and physical abuse and corporal punishment, and free from chemical and, expect in emergencies, physical restraints, except as authorized in writing by a physician for a specified and limited period of time or when it is necessary to protect you from injury.

Privacy

You have the right, within the limits of law, to personal privacy and confidentiality of information in care discussions, examinations, and treatment. You and your authorized representative have the right to expect that all communications and records about your care are confidential, unless disclosure is permitted or required by law. You have the right to see or get a copy of your medical records and have the information explained, if needed, in accordance with the Hospital’s policies and procedures and the applicable state and federal laws.

You have the right to be provided with Notice of Privacy Practices, which provides a more complete description of your rights relating to your protected health information, as well as the use and appropriate disclosure of your protected health information.

Medical Care and Services

You have the right to be fully informed of the scope and services available at the Hospital, provisions for after- hours and emergency care, and related fees for services
rendered.

You have the right to be fully informed of the scope and services available at the Hospital, provisions for after- hours and emergency care, and related fees for services rendered.
You have the right to receive care in a safe setting. You have the right to expect personnel who care for you to be friendly, considerate, respectful, and qualified through education, training, and experience to perform the services for which they are responsible with the highest quality of service. You have the right to receive the care necessary to help regain or maintain your maximum attainable state of health, and if necessary, cope with death.

You have the right to considerate and respectful care that includes consideration of the psychosocial, spiritual, and cultural variables that influence your perceptions of illness. In the case of dying patients, you have the right to (i) treatment of the primary and secondary symptoms that respond to treatment as desired by the patient or surrogate decision maker; (ii) effective pain management; and (iii) acknowledgment of the psychosocial and spiritual concerns of you and your family regarding dying and the expression of grief by you and your family.

Communication

You have the right to be listened to and treated with courtesy and respect.

You have the right to be called by your proper name and be told the names of the doctors, nurses and other health care team members involved in your care.

You have the right to be treated with consideration, respect, and full recognition of dignity and individuality, including privacy in treatment and in care for necessary personal and social needs. You have the right to have a family member or representative of your choice, and your own physician notified promptly of your admission to the Hospital.

You have the right to get important information about your care in your preferred language. You have the right to get information in a manner that meets your needs, if you have vision, speech, hearing or mental impairments. You have the right to sign language or foreign language interpreter services as needed to communicate effectively.

You have the right to send and receive personal mail, unopened unless the Hospital has been instructed otherwise in writing by you or your personal representative. You have a right to meet in private with visitors or persons of your choice or to associate and communicate with persons of your choice.

Association

You have the right to pastoral and other spiritual services. Upon request, chaplains are available directly or the Hospital will assist you in contacting your own clergy.

You have the right to participate in social and religious activities and meet with community groups without interference from Hospital administration or staff, unless medically contraindicated, as documented by your attending physician in your medical record. You have the right to express those spiritual beliefs and cultural practices that do not harm others or interfere with the planned course of medical therapy.

Property

You have the right to retain and use personal clothing and possessions as facility space permits, unless doing so would infringe upon the rights of other patients or is documented as medically contraindicated by your attending physician in your medical record.

You are encouraged to send any valuables home. The Hospital has limited storage capacity and further cannot guarantee the safety or security of such possessions. Reasonable provisions will be made for proper handling and storage of personal clothing and possessions stored by the Hospital.

Visitors

You have a right to meet in private with visitors or persons of your choice (including, but not limited to, a spouse, a domestic partner (including a same-sex domestic partner), another family member, or friend. The Hospital will not restrict or otherwise deny visits from your legal counsel, your authorized representative, or your spiritual advisor, except at your request or at the request of your authorized personal representative. The Hospital will not restrict or otherwise deny visitation privileges on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability.

Experimentation/Research

You have the right to be informed of any human experimentation or other research or educational projects affecting your care or treatment.

You have the right to agree or refuse to take part in medical research studies. You have the right to withdraw from any medical research study at any time.

Pain Management

You have the right to an initial assessment and regular reassessments for the presence of pain.

You have a right to expect that all relevant providers have been properly educated on pain assessments and pain management.

You have the right to expect that you and your family or authorized representative (when appropriate) will be educated on your roles in managing pain, as well as potential limitations and side effects of pain treatments.

Patient Safety

Patients, and when appropriate, their families or authorized representatives, have the right to be informed of the anticipated and unanticipated outcomes of the care they receive. Your physician and/or his/her designee have the responsibility of clearly explaining the anticipated outcomes of any treatment or procedure done.

You or your representative have a responsibility to report any known risk factors that could result in unexpected changes in the outcome of your care. You or your representative have a responsibility to ask questions if an ambiguity exists around information you have received or things you have been asked to do.

Discrimination

You have the right to care that is free from discrimination. This means that you should not be treated differently because of age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture, language, physical or mental disability, socioeconomic status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression. If you feel you have been discriminated against in any way or retaliated against for reporting a violation of law, please contact the Hospital Chief Executive Officer or the Hospital’s Patient Representative. Any claims concerning potential abuse should be brought to the Hospital Chief Executive Officer’s attention immediately regardless of the time of day.

Abuse and Neglect or Illegal, Unprofessional, or Unethical Conduct

A person, including an employee associated with the hospital, has a duty to report any abuse or neglect of a patient. All employees, health care professionals or other persons associated with the hospital have a duty to report any illegal, unprofessional, or unethical conduct related to the operation of the hospital or its services.

Choice of Physician

You have the right to be provided with the name of your attending physician, the names of all other health care practitioners directly participating in your care, and the names and functions of other health care providers having direct contact with you. You have the right to request a change of attending physicians or to transfer to another facility. You have the right to request and obtain assistance or consultation with another physician or practitioner at your own expense.

Disclosure of Physician Availability on the Premises

You have a right to be informed that this Hospital may not have physicians available on the premises 24 hours per day, seven days a week. You have the right to know that this Hospital has the basic capabilities to address medical emergencies if a physician is not on-site.

Complaints/Grievances

You have a right to express complaints/grievances and suggestions at any time.

You have the right to receive, at the time of your admission, information about the Hospital’s patient rights policies and the mechanism for the initiation, review, and when possible, resolution of patient complaints concerning the quality of care.

You have a right to utilize the Hospital’s process for the prompt resolution of patient complaints and/or grievances.

Questions, comments, or complaints will be addressed promptly to the Hospital Chief Executive Officer or the Hospital’s Patient Representative. Instances concerning potential abuse or neglect should be brought to the Hospital Chief Executive Officer’s attention immediately regardless of the time of day. You also have a right to file a grievance with the appropriate State agency directly.

COMPLAINTS OR COMMENTS INCLUDING c/o DISCRIMINTAION MAY BE FILED WITH ANY OF THE FOLLOWING:

  1. Hospital Chief Executive Officer at 713-330-3887
  2. Complaint Hotline 1-855-372-8345
  3. The Texas Department of Health Services at 1-888-973-0022
  4. The Joint Commission at 1-800-994-6610
  5. US Department of Health & Human Services at 1-800-368-1019
  6. Texas Attorney General Consumer Protection Hotline at 800-621-0508
  7. Texas Department of Family and Protective Abuse/Neglect Reports Hotline at 1-800-252-5400
  8. TDSHS: Consumer Rights for Mental Health Services 1-800-252-8154
  9. TDSHS: Substance abuse consumer/family with a complaint 1-800-832-9623

Physician Ownership Disclosure

PHYSICANS HAVE OWNERSHIP OR INVESTMENTS IN THIS THIS HOSPITAL. A LIST OF PHYSICIAN OWNERS IS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

Disclosures

You should share as much information as possible about your health with your caregivers. You have a responsibility to provide caregivers with the most accurate and complete information regarding your present complaints, past illnesses and hospitalizations, medications, unexpected changes in your condition and any other pertinent health care matters known by you.

Questions

You have a responsibility to report whether you clearly understand the planned course of treatment and what is expected of you. You have a responsibility to ask questions to gain full understanding, as understanding health issues is important for treatment plan success.

Cooperation

You have a responsibility to cooperate with the treatment program which the physician has specified. While you have the right to refuse any drug, treatment or medical care recommended by the physician, you should be aware that you are responsible for the actions if treatment is refused.

Rules

You have a responsibility to observe the rules of the Hospital during your stay. You should be aware that purposeful disregard of the rules of the Hospital may result in a forfeiture of your right to receive care at the Hospital.

Other Patients

You have the responsibility to be considerate of the rights of other patients, Hospital personnel, and for your personal behavior.

Payment

You have the responsibility for assuring that the financial obligations for your health care are fulfilled as promptly as possible.

Insurance

You have the responsibility to furnish River Oaks Hospital & Clinics, to the best of your ability, with any information or documentation required by any insurance company or federal or state agency which will or may impact the payment of your hospital charges in accordance with the applicable state or federal regulations.