A MODEL OF THE PATIENT'S BILL OF RIGHTS
1. Legal right to informed participation in all decisions in involving the patient's
health care program.
2. Right of all potential patients to know what research and experimental protocols
are used in the facility and alternatives available in the community.
3. Legal right to privacy respecting the source payment; access to the highest
degree of care without regard to the source of payment.
4. Right of a potential patient to complete and accurate information concerning
medical care and procedures.
5. Legal right to prompt attention, especially in an emergency situation.
6. Legal right to a clear, concise explanation of all proposed procedures in layman's
terms, including risks and serious side effects, problems related to recuperation,
and probability of success. The right not to be subjected to procedures without
voluntary, competent, and understanding consent in written form.
7. Legal right to clear complete, and accurate evaluation of one's condition and
prognosis without treatment before consenting to tests or procedures.
8. Right to know the identify and professional status of all those providing service.
(Personnel must introduce themselves, state their status, and explain their role in
the care of a patient. Part of this right is the right to know the physician
responsible for care.)
9. Right to an interpreter.
10. Legal right to all the information in the patient's medical record while in the
health care facility, and the right to examine the record upon request.
11. Right to discuss one's condition with a consultant specialist at one's own request
and expense.
12. Legal right not to have any test or procedure designed for educational purposes
rather than for one's own direct personal benefit.
Figure 1-4. Patient's Bill of Rights (cont).
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