Patient Rights and Responsibilities
We consider you a partner in your hospital care. You can help make your care as effective as possible when you are informed about your condition, participate in treatment decisions and communicate openly with the physician and other healthcare professionals.
All hospital personnel, medical staff members and contracted agency personnel performing patient care activities shall observe these patient rights.
Patient Rights
Patients have the right to:
Considerate, respectful care in a safe setting with recognition of their personal dignity and free from all forms of abuse or harassment.
Impartial access to treatment regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age or source of payment for care.
Personal and informational privacy and confidentiality as permitted by law. Written permission is obtained before the medical records may be made available to anyone not directly concerned with your care.
Access information contained in the clinical records within a reasonable time frame.
Know which physician is primarily responsible for coordinating your care and to obtain information concerning your diagnosis (to the degree known), treatment, outcomes of care (including unanticipated outcomes) and any known prognosis in terms you can understand.
Be told of realistic care alternatives when hospital care is no longer appropriate. Participate in the consideration of ethical issues that arise in the provision of your care.
Designate visitors who shall receive the same visitation privileges as the patient’s immediate family members, regardless of whether the visitors are legally related to the patient.
Visitors are not denied privileges on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.
Designate a representative who may be involved in the patient’s care planning, discharge planning, and pain management. This representative shall receive a copy of the Patient’s Rights.
Designate a support person, who may or may not be the same person as the patient’s representative. Have your rights apply to the person who may have legal responsibility to make decisions about medical care on your behalf.
Reasonable, informed participation in decisions involving your health care. Receive as much information about proposed treatment or procedures as you may need in order to give informed consent or to refuse the course of treatment. Except in emergencies, this information shall include a description of the procedure or treatment, the significant risks involved in the treatment, alternate course of treatment or non-treatment and the risks involved in each and to know the name and professional status of the person who will carry out the procedure or treatment.
Know the names and professional relationships of other physicians and healthcare providers who will see you.
Prepare Advanced Directives and appoint a surrogate to make health care decisions on your behalf and have hospital staff and practitioners comply with these directions.
The right to consent to or refuse recommended treatment as permitted by law. If patients or their legally authorized representatives refuse treatment, preventing the provision of appropriate care in accordance with professional standards, the hospital may terminate the relationship with the patient upon reasonable notice. Patients have the right to be informed of the medical consequences of their refusal.
At your own request and expense, consult with a specialist.
Not be transferred to another facility or organization unless you have received an explanation of the need for the transfer, the alternatives to such transfer, and unless the transfer is acceptable to the other facility.
Be informed by the physician responsible for your care of continuing health care requirements following discharge from the hospital.
Request and receive, regardless of the source of payment for your care, an itemized bill for services rendered in the hospital. Patients have the right to a timely notice prior to termination of eligibility for reimbursement of any third-party payer for the cost of care.
Exercise cultural and spiritual beliefs that do not interfere with the well being of others or the planned course of medical therapy for the patient.
Appropriate assessment and management of pain.
Be free from the use of seclusion or restraint, of any form, as a means of coercion, discipline, convenience, or retaliation by staff.
Reasonable responses to any reasonable request you may make for service.
Expect the hospital to provide an interpreter when patients do not speak or understand English or need American Sign Language services.
The hospital involves parents and/or legal guardians for the infant, children, or adolescent patients throughout the course of treatment and provides any of the above described privileges and information to the parents and/or guardians.
Information about the hospital rules and regulations applicable to your conduct as a patient.
Patients are entitled to information on the hospital's process for the initiation, review, and resolution of their complaints, including the quality of care that you receive or if you feel the determined discharge date is premature. A patient may file a complaint or grievance without compromising care.
- At Highpoint Health – Sumner, the Department Director is responsible for handling patient and family concerns. Complaints should first be filed with the appropriate Director or shift supervisor of the area where the issue occurred. However, complaints and grievances may also be filed by calling 615-328-5537.
- At Highpoint Health – Riverview, the Department Director is responsible for handling patient and family concerns. Complaints should first be filed with the appropriate Director or shift supervisor of the area where the issue occurred. However, complaints and grievances may also be filed by calling 615-735- 5117.
- At Highpoint Health – Trousdale, Administration is responsible for handling patient and family concerns. Complaints and grievances may be filed by calling 615-328-6704.
You have a right to file a quality of care concern with your insurance company to further investigate on her behalf.
You may also file a quality of care complaint with the:
Department of Health
Division of Health Care Facilities
Centralized Complaint Intake Unit
665 Mainstream Drive, Second Floor
Nashville, TN 37243
1-877-287-0010
Or
Office of Quality and Patient Safety
The Joint Commission
One Renaissance Boulevard
Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois 60181
E-mail: complaint@jointcommission.org
Fax: 630-792-5636
The State of Tennessee is graced with some of the finest health care professionals and treatment facilities in the United States. The majority of healthcare providers in Tennessee are competent and caring individuals, and most people are satisfied with the level of care they receive. However, when a problem is experienced with a practitioner, you have the right to report him/her. If you believe that a healthcare provider’s performance or behavior is not acceptable, you may file a complaint through Health Related Boards, Office of Investigations. Issues that are not within Board Authority: Fees and/or billing disputes (amounts charged for services, overcharges, etc). You may visit the following website to download a complaint form (PH3466) http://health.state.tn.us/boards/complaints.htm or Contact Consumer Affairs at 1-800-342-8385.
Patient Responsibilities
You have the responsibility to provide, to the best of your knowledge, accurate and complete information about present complaints, past illness, hospitalizations, medication, and other matters relating to your health.
You and your visitors have the responsibility to report unexpected changes in condition to the responsible healthcare provider.
You are responsible for reporting whether you understand the treatment plan and what is expected of you.
You have the responsibility to question the hospital staff if a procedure or treatment does not seem appropriate.
You are responsible for following the treatment plan recommended by the healthcare provider primarily responsible for your care.
You are responsible for your actions if you refuse treatment or do not follow the healthcare provider’s instructions.
You are responsible for assuring the financial obligations for your healthcare are fulfilled as promptly as possible.
You are responsible for following rules and regulations affecting patient care and conduct.
You are responsible for being considerate of the rights of other patients and healthcare workers and for assisting in the control of noise and the number of visitors.
You are responsible for being respectful of the property of other persons and of the hospital.
You are responsible for adhering to the Tobacco Usage Policy. No smoking is permitted in the hospital buildings or on the adjacent property in compliance with State law.
You are responsible to discuss pain relief options and to develop a pain management plan with the doctors and nurses.
You and your family members have the responsibility to report perceived risks in patient care. You are responsible for securing personal belongings and valuables.
You are responsible for recognizing the effect of your lifestyle on your personal health. Your health depends not just on your hospital care, but on decisions you make in your daily life.