Patient / Family Rights & Responsibilities
"As a Patient You have the right to: Have your dignity honored by respecting your individuality, faith and cultural background. Privacy for your personal care needs within available resources. Information to help you and your partner in care to understand your medical condition. Participate in decisions about your case."
Patient and Family Rights
- Respecting values and beliefs, any spiritual preferences, cultural needs, and responding to requests for spiritual needs
- Respect for personal dignity and privacy during examination, procedures and treatment.
- Right to safety and quality care according to standards and protection from physical abuse and neglect.
- Right to confidentiality, wherein information about health condition and treatment plan is held in strict confidentiality.
- Refusal of treatment after considering all available options, with responsibility for consequences being borne by the patient and his/her bystanders.
- Right to seek second opinion from an appropriate clinician of patients/bystanders choice.)
- Informed consent must be sought prior to any potentially hazardous test/treatment like transfusion of blood and blood products, anaesthesia, surgery, chemotherapy, HIV testing, initiation of any researches protocol and any other invasive/high risk procedures/treatment.
- Right to be heard and seek redressal through feedback, comments, or complaints about the health care and how to voice a complaint.
- Information on the expected cost for each type of service provided and facilities available is provided and also to receive an itemised detailed bill at the time of payment.
- Right to access their clinical records and reports including originals/copies of case papers, indoor patient records, investigation reports.
- Information on the name of the treating doctor, plan of care including proposed investigations and management, progress and information on their health care needs, diagnosis, and possible complications.
- Right to determine what information regarding their care would be provided to self and family.
- Essential medicines, devices, implants and services are provided at rates that are not higher than the prescribed rates or the maximum retail price marked on the packaging.
- Relatives/bystanders of the patient have a right to get discharge summary or in case of death, death summary along with original copies of investigations.
- Right to proper referral and transfer where continuity of care is provided with complete explanation of the justification for the transfer, the alternative options for a transfer and it must be confirmed that the transfer is acceptable to the receiving facility.
- Right to protection of participants involved in biomedical and health research.
Patient and Family Responsibilities
- To facilitate most appropriate diagnosis and treatment Patients must:-
(a) Provide complete and accurate health related information to their doctor in response to the doctor’s queries without concealing any relevant information about his/her health, including present condition, past illnesses, hospitalisations, medications, natural products and vitamins, and any other matters that pertain to his/her health.
(b) Cooperate with the doctor during examination, diagnostic tests and treatment, and should follow doctor’s advice, while keeping in view their right to participate in decision making related to treatment.
(c) Ask questions when he/she does not understand what the doctor or other member of the health care team tells about diagnosis or treatment. He/she should also inform the doctor if he/she anticipate problems in following prescribed treatment or considering alternative therapies.
(d) Provide complete and accurate information including full name, address and other information.
(e) Take responsibility for their actions based on choices made regarding treatment options, and in case they refuse treatment. - Abide by all hospital rules and regulations.
- Comply with the NO SMOKING policy.
- Comply with the visitors’ policies to ensure the rights and comfort of all patients. Be considerate of noise levels, cleanliness, privacy, and safety. Weapons are prohibited on premises.
- Treat other patients and visitors with courtesy and respect.
- Should respect the dignity of the doctor and other hospital staff as human beings and as professionals. Whatever the grievance may be, patients/bystanders should not resort to violence in any form and damage or destroy any property of the hospital or the service provider.
- To be on time in case of appointments. To cancel or reschedule as far in advance as possible in cases of cancellation or rescheduling of their appointments.
- Not to give medication prescribed for him/her to others.
- Provide complete and accurate information for insurance claims and cooperate with the hospital billing offices to make payment arrangements.
- To communicate with the health care provider if his/her condition worsens or does not follow the expected course.
- To pay for services billed for in a timely manner as per the hospital policies.
- To respect that some other patients’ medical condition may be more urgent than yours and accept that your Doctor may need to attend to them first.
- To respect that admitted patients/patients requiring emergency care takes priority for your Doctor.
- To follow the prescribed treatment plan and carefully comply with the instructions given.
- To accept, where applicable, adaptations to the environment to ensure a safe and secure stay in the hospital.
- To accept the measures taken by the hospital to ensure personal privacy and confidentiality of medical records.
- To attend follow up appointments as requested.
- Not to take any medications without the knowledge of doctor and health care professionals.
- To provide correct and truthful history.
- To understand the charter of rights and seek clarification if any.