Patient Rights & Responsibilities

Patient Rights

List of Patient Rights in California

In accordance with Section 70707 of the California Administrative Code, the hospital and medical staff have adopted the following list of patient rights.

As a patient, you have the right to:

1. Exercise these rights without regard to sex or cultural, economic, educational, or religious background or the source of payment for the patient's care.
2. Considerate and respectful care.
3. Knowledge of the name of the physician who has primary responsibility for coordinating the patient's care and the names and professional relationships of other physicians who will see the patient.
4. Receive information from the physician about the patient's illness, the course of treatment and prospects for recovery in terms the patient can understand.
5. Receive as much information about any proposed treatment or procedure as the patient may need in order to give informed consent to refuse his course of treatment. Except in emergencies, this information shall include a description of the procedure or the treatment , the medically significant risks involved in this treatment, alternate course of treatment or non-treatment, and the risks involved in each, and to know the name of the person who will carry out the procedure or treatment.
6. Participate actively in discussion regarding the patient's medical care. To the extent permitted by law, this includes the right to refuse treatment.
7. Full consideration of privacy concerning the medical care program. Case discussion, consultation, examination and treatment are confidential and should be conducted discreetly. The patient has the right to be advised as to the reason for the presence of any individual.
8. Confidential treatment of all communications and records pertaining to the patient's care and stay in the hospital. Written permission shall be obtained before the patient's medical records can be made available to anyone not directly concerned with the care.
9. Reasonable response to any reasonable requests the patient may make for service.
10. Leave the hospital, even against the advice of the patient's physicians
11. Reasonable continuity of care and to know in advance the time and location of appointment, as well as the physician providing the care.
12. Be advised if hospital/personal physician proposes to engage in or perform human experimentation affecting the patient's care or treatment. The patient has the right to refuse to participate in such research projects.
13. Be informed by the physician, or a delegate of the physician, of the patient's continuing health care requirement following his discharge from the hospital.
14. Examine and receive an explanation of the bill, regardless of source of payment.
15. Know which hospital rules and policies apply to the patient's conduct.
16. Have all patient rights apply to the person who may have legal responsibility to make decisions regarding medical care on behalf of the patient.
17. Designate visitors of his/her choosing, if the patient has decision-making capacity, whether or not the visitor is related by blood or marriage, unless:
    
    1. No visitors are allowed.
    2. The facility reasonably determines that the presence of a particular visitor would endanger the health and safety of a patient, a member of health facility staff, or other visitor to the health facility, or would significantly disrupt the operations of the facility.
    3. The patient has indicated to the health facility staff that the patient no longer wants this person to visit.
18. Have the patient's wishes considered for purposes of determining who may visit if the patient lacks decision making capacity and to have the method of that consideration disclosed in the hospital policy on visitation. At minimum, the hospital shall include any person living in the household.
19. Above information may not be construed to prohibit a health facility from otherwise establishing reasonable restrictions upon visitation, including restrictions upon the hours of visitations and number of visitors.
20. A procedure shall be established whereby patient complaints are forwarded to hospital administration for appropriate response.
21. All hospital personnel shall observe these patient rights.

Patient Responsibilities

As a patient of Kaiser Permanente, you are responsible for:

• Provision of information concerning past and present illnesses, complaints, medications, and history of hospitalizations to the best of your ability.
• Reporting unexpected changes in your condition to your health practitioner.
• Following the treatment plan as recommended by your care practitioners. This includes responsibility for keeping appointments and for notifying your practitioner if you are unable to do so.
• The Consequences of refusing treatment, or failing to follow your practitioners instructions.
• Assuring financial obligations of your care are fulfilled promptly.
• Following hospital rules and regulations concerning care and conduct, including control of noise, number of visitors and respect of the property of other persons and the hospital.
• Ambulatory surgery patients:
  Following these guidelines will help to assure that your operation proceeds smoothly and on schedule. Please read them carefully. It is essential that you have someone to drive you home. You may receive medications during your operation that may make you drowsy and make it unsafe for you to drive. Please note that your operation may be cancelled if you do not have someone to drive you home.
  Please bring the following with you: a list of medications you are currently taking, but please leave your actual medications at home unless specifically instructed to do so by your surgeon or by an anesthesiologist.