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Patient Rights and Responsibilities

Welcome to TriHealth and thank you for choosing us to be your healthcare provider. By talking to your caregivers and participating in planning your care, you will help make sure the care you receive respects your wishes and values. These rights and responsibilities apply to the infant, child, adolescent, and adult patients and their parents, legal representatives, or guardians.

As a Patient, You Have the Right to:

  1. Be informed of his or her Patient Rights and Responsibilities before receiving treatment and care.
  2. Request assistance of the Patient Relations staff in understanding and/or ensuring their Rights and Responsibilities.
  3. Be treated in a considerate and respectful manner, recognizing his/her personal dignity, in an environment free of all forms of abuse and harassment.
  4. Be free from any form of discrimination based on race, ethnicity, culture, language, socioeconomic status, religion, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, or method of payment.
  5. Have a family member or representative and/or his/her primary care physician Promptly notified regarding admission to the TriHealth entity.
  6. Receive the visitors designated by the patient, including, but not limited to, a spouse, a domestic partner (including a same-sex domestic partner), another family member, or a friend. Also included is the right to withdraw or deny such consent at any time.
  7. Expect visitation privileges not to be denied on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.
  8. Know the name and the role of his/her caregivers, including the physicians, residents and other practitioners who are primarily responsible for his/her care, treatment, and services.
  9. Have every consideration of privacy and protection of dignity during delivery of care, treatment, and services.
  10. Have personal and data privacy involving written and oral communications, visits, meetings with family and groups, and personal care.1
  11. Expect all information, communications and records related to his/her care be kept confidential according to TriHealth’s policies and procedures.
  12. Collaborate with the staff to establish a pain management goal and methods for how to achieve that goal.
  13. Expect reasonable safety insofar as TriHealth practices and environment are concerned. This includes the right to a smoke-free environment as mandated by TriHealth’s no smoking policy.
  14. Be free from any form of restraints or seclusion that are not clinically necessary.
  15. Receive information in a manner tailored to the patient’s age, language, and ability to understand. This includes communication assistance (free of charge) due to any communication limitation.
  16. Receive complete information from his/her physician regarding diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, and outcomes (anticipated and unanticipated). This includes the right to informed consent when surgical or other significant procedures are indicated.
  17. Be involved in making decisions about the plan of care and to refuse treatment to the extent permitted by law and TriHealth policy. This includes being informed of the medical consequences of refusing treatment and alternatives to the patient’s proposed care, treatment, and services.
  18. Make an informed decision about participating in or refusing to participate in any experimental, research or educational activities that are involved in his/her treatment. This includes being informed that refusing to participate or discontinuing participation will not jeopardize his or her access to care, treatment, and services unrelated to the research.
  19. Give or withhold informed consent to produce or use recordings, films, or other images for the purposes other than his/her care.
  20. Obtain a second opinion at his/her request and expense without jeopardizing his/her care.
  21. Request and make decisions about limiting care or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment in accordance with legal, clinical, and ethical guidelines.
  22. Know that a policy and procedure exist that addresses the procurement and donation of organs to local agencies.
  23. Request a consultation with the Ethics Committee if conflicts arise regarding the recommended care, treatment, and services.
  24. Have/or formulate an Advance Directive (such as a living will or durable power of attorney for health care) concerning treatment or designating a surrogate decision maker. The TriHealth entity will honor the intent of that Directive to the extent permitted by law and TriHealth’s mission, philosophy, and capabilities.
  25. Expect unrestricted access to communication. It may be necessary to restrict visitors, mail, telephone calls, or other forms of communication him/her in a language the patient understands. For a non- emancipated minor or patient under guardianship, applicable law determines who is legally entrusted to act in the patient’s best interest.
  26. Have his/her individual, social, psychological, cultural, emotional, and spiritual needs respected and preserved while undergoing treatment. As possible, this includes the TriHealth entity accommodating the patient’s right to religious and other spiritual services.
  27. Access protective and advocacy services. i.e. Women Helping Women, Adult or Children’s Protective Services, or a guardianship.
  28. To be transferred to another facility when medically appropriate and within the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act(EMTALA) laws.
  29. Expect continuity of care and a consistent standard of care based on research and evidenced-based recommendations.
  30. Receive assistance in discharge planning and aid in continuity of care.
  31. Obtain information regarding any financial relationship that may exist between a TriHealth service and any agency or service to which the patient may be referred.
  32. Be informed regarding how to file a complaint/grievance, regarding any aspect of care or service to the caregiver, department manager or the Patient Relations Department without fear of reprisal, and to receive a written response from the organization in a timely manner. This includes information regarding how to contact the Ohio Department of Health, The Joint Commission, CMS, and/or ACHC (MHMH only).
  33. An explanation of his/her bill regardless of the source of payment and to receive information or be advised of the availability of potential sources of financial assistance.
  34. Have reasonable requests for services honored that are within TriHealth’s Capacity and mission. This includes the right to receive an evaluation, service and/or referral as indicated by law, regulations, and TriHealth policies.
  35. The presence of a support individual of the patient’s choice, unless the individual’s presence infringes on others’ Rights, safety, or is medically or therapeutically contraindicated.
  36. Be informed of their Medicare beneficiary Rights if receiving Medicare funding.
  37. Access, request amendment to, and obtain information on disclosures of his or her health information, in accordance with law and regulation, within a reasonable time frame.
  38. Know that the TriHealth entity defines how it obtains and documents permission to perform an autopsy.
  39. Have all alleged violations involving abuse, neglect, exploitation, or mistreatment, including injuries of unknown source and misappropriation of resident property, reported immediately to the administrator of the facility and to other officials in accordance with State law through established procedures.

    40. 1 This does not require TriHealth to provide a private room for each patient. Communication of medical information will be made in accordance with TriHealth Privacy/HIPAA policies.

    As a Patient Your Responsibilities are to:

    1. Provide to the best of his/her knowledge, accurate and complete information about present symptoms, past illnesses, hospitalizations, medications, and other matters relating to his/her health, history, or care planning. This includes reporting any unexpected changes in his/her condition.
    2. Ask his/her healthcare provider what to expect regarding pain management and to collaborate with the healthcare team in establishing pain management goals, methods, and measuring results.
    3. Cooperate with physicians and staff in his/her diagnosis and treatment, and to initiate questions if any instructions, procedures, and other information are not understood.
    4. Provide the TriHealth entity with a copy of his/her Advance Directive, or DNR Comfort Care or DNR Comfort Care Arrest information if he/she has one.
    5. Inform his/her physicians and other caregivers if he/she anticipates problems in following prescribed treatment.
    6. For his/her actions if he/she refuses treatment or does not follow the practitioner’s instructions.
    7. Provide all needed information for insurance processing and for assuring that financial obligations for his/her health care are fulfilled.
    8. Being considerate of the Rights of other patients and TriHealth personnel by following the organization’s policies regarding smoking, visiting, room
      accommodations, telephone usage, and being respectful of the property of the organization and of other persons.

    You can listen to these rights and responsibilities by calling (513) 862-4620. A copy of the complete corporate policy or a copy of this handout is available in Braille and in Spanish through the Patient Relations Departments at the Bethesda North TriHealth entity and at the Good Samaritan TriHealth entity.

    Please tell your caregiver your suggestions, concerns, or complaints about patient care and patient safety. This will help us give you excellent service. You are a member of the health care team and we are committed to meet your specific requests and needs. The Patient Relations Department works with management in responding to your complaints or concerns about patient care and patient safety in the TriHealth entity or any of the TriHealth facilities.

    If you wish to report a complaint you may contact the Patient Relations Department at:

    Bethesda North Region
    (513) 865-1115    		 Good Samaritan Region
    (513) 862-2582
    Bethesda North Hospital
    Bethesda Butler Hospital
    Bethesda Medical Center at Arrow Springs
    All other Bethesda North Hospital on- or off-campus locations
    McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital (MHMH) on- or -off campus locations    		 Good Samaritan Hospital
    TriHealth Surgery Center - Anderson
    Good Samaritan Medical Center - Western Ridge
    All other Good Samaritan on- or off-campus locations

    You may also contact the Ohio Department of Health, The Joint Commission or the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) or The Accreditation Commission of Healthcare (ACHC) using the information below:

    Organization/Agency Phone Number Address Website
    Ohio Department of Health 1-800-342-0553 46 North High St.
    Columbus, Ohio
    43215    		 https://odh.ohio.gov
    The Joint Commission 1-800-994-6610 N/A www.jointcommission.org
    The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services
    (CMS)    		 1-800-633-4227
    TTY 1-877-486-2048    		 N/A www.cms.gov
    The Accreditation Commission of Healthcare (ACHC)
    For MHMH only    		 1.855.937.2242 N/A www.achc.org/contact

    For Medicare beneficiaries, the website for the Office of the Medicare Beneficiary Ombudsman: https://medicare.gov/claims-and-appeals/medicare-rights/get-help/ombudsman.html