Patient Rights and Responsibilities
Click here for a PDF of the Patient Rights and Responsibilities brochure.
Click here for Children's Bill of Rights
Baptist Health believes it’s important for you to take an active part in your healthcare. That’s why we’ve provided you with this list of Patient Rights and Responsibilities. By becoming familiar with these points, you can better participate in your care and act as a vital part of the healthcare team. If you have any questions or concerns about your rights and responsibilities, please call any of the numbers listed on the back.
If there is a concern about patient care and safety at any of our facilities, The Joint Commission asks that you first contact the appropriate Baptist Health representative (see contact information).
If you believe the concerns have not been resolved, please notify The Joint Commission in writing at the Office of Quality Monitoring, One Renaissance Blvd., Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181; by fax at 630-792-5636; by e-mail at complaint@jointcommission.org; or call 1-800-994-6610.
Patient Rights
As a patient you have the right to:
be treated with courtesy and respect for your cultural, psychosocial, spiritual and personal values, beliefs and preferences, as well as with appreciation of individual dignity and protection of privacy and informational confidentiality within the law;
a prompt and reasonable response to questions and requests;
know who is providing medical services and who is responsible for your care;
know what patient support services are available, including access to a phone for private telephone conversations, interpreters, translators and resources for the disabled;
impartial access to medical treatment or accommodation regardless of race, national origin, religion, physical handicaps or sources of payment;
treatment for any emergency medical condition that will get worse from failure to provide treatment;
know what rules and regulations apply to your conduct;
be given information concerning the diagnosis, prognosis, planned course of treatment, benefits, risks and alternatives;
have your family involved in decision-making with permission from you or your surrogate;
appropriate assessment and management of your pain, and to be involved in decisions about managing pain;
be free from restraints unless necessary for your safety or to prevent injury to others.
initiate or amend an advance healthcare directive;
participate in decisions about your care at the end of life with competent attention to your physical, psychosocial, spiritual and cultural needs;
refuse any treatment, except as otherwise provided by law;
know if medical treatment is for a clinical trial and to give your informed consent or refusal to participate in experimental research;
information about accessing protective services if you feel you are in physical danger,
or have been abused, neglected or exploited by anyone, including family members, visitors, other patients, staff, students or volunteers. Contact the social worker through the hospital operator by dialing “0”;
receive, upon request, prior to treatment, a reasonable estimate of charges for medical care;
receive, upon request, information and counseling on the availability of known financial resources for your care;
know, upon request, in advance of treatment, whether the healthcare provider or facility accepts the Medicare assignment rate if you are eligible for Medicare;
receive, upon request, a copy of a reasonably clear and understandable itemized bill and to have the charges explained;
access to the Ethics Committee and the option to participate in the process to resolve ethical issues. Contact the Ethics Committee through the hospital operator by dialing “0”;
expect reasonable safety insofar as the hospital practices and environment permit;
consult with a specialist, at your request and expense;
receive a complete explanation about the need for or alternative to a transfer (transfer must be acceptable to the other facility);
be informed by your healthcare provider of continuing healthcare requirements after your discharge;
express a complaint or grievance regarding the quality of care or any violation of your rights, as stated in Florida Law, through the grievance procedure at this Baptist Health facility and/or to the appropriate state licensing agency. Contact the hospital’s Guest Relations Department and/or nursing supervisor through the hospital operator by dialing “0.” Write or call the Agency for Healthcare Administration, Consumer Assistance Unit, 2727 Mahan Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32308. Phone: 888-419-3456.
Baptist Health hospitals and outpatient centers are accredited by The Joint Commission. If there is a concern about patient care and safety at any of our facilities, we ask that you first contact the appropriate Baptist Health representative (see contact information). If you believe the concerns have not been resolved, you may notify The Joint Commission in writing at the Office of Quality Monitoring, One Renaissance Blvd., Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181; by fax at 630-792-5636; by e-mail at complaint@jointcommission.org; or by calling, toll-free, the 24-hour line at 800-994-6610.
Patient Responsibilities
As a patient, you are responsible for:
providing accurate and complete information about present physical complaints, past illnesses, hospitalizations, medications and other matters relating to your health;
reporting unexpected changes in your condition to your doctors and nurses;
reporting your pain and working with the staff to manage your pain;
asking questions if you do not understand your treatment or what is expected of you;
following the treatment plan recommended by the hospital staff and/or physicians;
your actions if you refuse treatment or do not follow the healthcare provider’s instructions;
thoughtful consideration of your wishes about end-of-life care and for communicating those wishes through advance directives;
providing accurate insurance and payment information to the hospital and physicians at the time of registration or service;
complying with the hospital’s rules and regulations affecting patient care and conduct;
ensuring that the financial obligations of your healthcare are fulfilled as promptly as possible;
being considerate of the rights of other patients and hospital personnel and for assisting in the control of noise and the number of visitors;
being respectful of the property of other people and the hospital;
keeping appointments and, when unable to do so for any reason, notifying your healthcare
provider or doctor’s office;
safeguarding your belongings (valuables should be sent home or to the Security Office).
References:
Florida Statute
Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
If you have questions or concerns about your rights and responsibilities, please call the patient/guest services representative at one of the numbers below, or after hours dial “0” and ask for the nursing supervisor.
Baptist Hospital
Ext. 66527 (786-596-6527)
South Miami Hospital
Ext. 25046 (786-662-5046)
Doctors Hospital
Ext. 83193 (786-308-3193)
Baptist Children’s Hospital
Ext. 66527 (786-596-6527)
Homestead Hospital
Ext. 38546 (786-243-8546)
Ext. 38508 (786-243-8508)
Mariners Hospital
Ext. 41651 (305-434-1646)
Baptist Outpatient Services
Ext. 63750 (786-596-3750)