Patient Rights & Responsibilities

As a patient, you have both rights and responsibilities. You have the right to:

• Be treated with respect, dignity and concern.
• Have your cultural, psychosocial, spiritual and personal values, beliefs, and preferences respected.
• Expect treatment that meets high standards of care, is up-to-date with current medical practice and is safe and appropriate to your needs.
• Have privacy during the course of your care.
• Know the name and role of the individuals caring for you.
• Be involved in decisions about your care and informed about your diagnosis and condition.
• Know what the treatment options are, and the probable outcomes of treatment.
• Be involved in planning your care and treatment.
• Request or refuse any treatment.
• Be involved in your discharge planning.
• Play an important part in managing your pain and have the opportunity to describe your pain.
• Expect that the people caring for you will be responsive and skilled in pain prevention and relief.
• Request a second opinion.
• Prepare Advance Directives, which state your wishes for future medical care if at some point you become incapacitated or unable to communicate.
• Be given information about the outcome of your Advance Directive decisions.
• Have your Advance Directives followed.
• Appoint someone to make decisions on your behalf if you are unable.
• Have a family member or someone of your choice be notified promptly of your admission to the hospital, and have your own physician notified as well.
• Have access, by written request, to any medical information contained in your medical record.
• Have all medical information about your care held in strictest confidence and available only to those directly involved in your care.
• Be given help with special needs such as guardianship or protective services.
• Participate or refuse to participate in any research activity. If you choose to be part of a research project, you have the right to know its benefits, risk or discomfort, what part of the project is research, and any costs to you.
• Complain about your care or any aspect of your visit. Complaints may be reported to the manager or director of the unit where you are being treated.
• You may also report your complaint to Quality Improvement Department at 522-5866, 522-5901 or 522-5813. After business hours, you may report your complaint to the Administrative Coordinator by asking the hospital operator to page him or her.
• Expect prompt follow-up on a complaint.
• File a grievance if you have a serious concern about quality of care or being discharged prematurely.
• In addition, you have the right to file your grievance with the Washington State Department of Health at 1-800-633-6828.
• Be free from any form of restraint including physical or chemical (drug) that restricts normal movement or inhibits mental function. Such restraints may be used only when specifically ordered by a doctor to prevent harm or injury to yourself or others.
• Providence St. Mary Medical Center will not participate in any aspect of physician-assisted suicide including, but not limited to: the provision of information intended to promote physician-assisted suicide; patient assessment for the purpose of eligibility, prescribing, procuring, providing or administering a lethal prescription; or presence when the medication is ingested.  Patients who choose to exercise their rights under the Washington Death with Dignity Act will not be excluded from the full range of services provided by Providence St. Mary Medical Center.

As a patient, it is your responsibility to:

• Be accurate and complete, as much as possible, in giving your medical history.
• Tell us what medications, vitamins and other supplements you are taking.
• Carry identification with you.
• Notify your caregivers if your health changes.
• Ask questions and take part in your healthcare decisions.
• Follow the care, treatment, and service plan provided.
• Let us know if you don't understand any part of your treatment.
• Accept consequences for the outcomes if the care, treatment, and service plan are not followed.
• Follow hospital rules and regulations.
• Treat staff, visitors and other patients with respect.
• Regard other patients’ medical information as confidential.
• Respect hospital property and equipment.
• Examine your hospital bill. If you have a question, please call us.
• Pay your bill promptly. If there is a hardship, please let us know so we may help you.