Hospital visit – rights and responsibilities

Sharmila Wahengbam *

Shija Hospitals and Research Institute, Langol

Present day medical science has seen skyrocketing achievements in terms of human diseases and health conditions. But this development has come along with incidence of many other chronic and life-style diseases. These diseases have created panic, fear and uncertainty to most people and even to medical experts.

Dilemma and anxiety due such medical conditions have widened the gap in, the relation between medical professionals and patients. There is now even an element of mistrust and suspicion, supported by half-baked health information widely available on the internet.

However developments and improvisation in communication have helped to raise awareness to people. There are still large number of people who are not aware of their basic rights as far as healthcare is concerned.

Such people usually just pray for things to get right and obey instructions of the medical team blindly, who they see as their saviours. Lack of knowledge and awareness among people combined with experts’ unwillingness to share correct or complete details has created many human cries. So, need has been felt to make common people aware of their rights and responsibilities and also that of their families.

Awareness of patients about their rights and responsibilities can bring about a lot of advantages such as improved quality of health care, quicker recovery, decreased length of stay, lower risk of irreversible physical and emotional damages and more importantly, safeguards dignity of patients by informing them about their right to participate in clinical decision making. On the other hand lack of respect to patient’s rights may ruin the relationship between the service provider and patients that consequently impact the outcome. This is true from both the clinical and business perspectives.

In order to get the best available care and outcomes, both service providers and patients and their families must ensure appropriate exercise of patient and family rights and responsibilities.

As a patient, you have the right:

1) To receive medical care, irrespective of your race, sex, beliefs, country of birth, religion, sexual orientation, gender, identity or expression, disability or source of payment.
2) To receive care in a safe environment free from all forms of abuse, neglect or mistreatment.
3) To know the identity and professional credentials and role of every person rendering treatment and care.
4) To request a second opinion about diagnosis or treatment plan or to change physicians during the course of the illness.
5) To expect privacy and confidentiality in care, discussion, examinations and treatment.
6) To accept or refuse any medication, investigation or treatment to the extent permitted by law and to be informed of the consequences of any refusal.
7) To be informed if your care involves research or experimental method of treatment. You have the right to refuse or consent to participate.
8) To reasonably participate in decisions involving his/her health care.
9) To access medical information from medical record department.

10) To request a meeting with the Hospital Ethics Committee to discuss issues about your care.
11) To file a complaint regarding services and receive help to resolve it.
12) To get full information about the estimated cost of various options before starting the treatment and during the treatment whenever the situation changes.
13) To receive information about care given to you in a language that you can understand.
14) To know the rules and policies of the hospital during your hospital stay. These include the policies for visitors, safety and no tobacco use.
15) To understand infection control measure which include restricted patient’s relatives/party/visitors and use of hand hygiene.
16) To receive written discharge instruction from your doctor about your follow up care before leaving the hospital
17) Any issue related to medical negligence can be addressed under Consumer Protection Act.

As a patient, you have responsibilities too, which are:

1) To provide accurate and complete information about medical complaints, past illnesses, hospitalizations, medications, pain and other matters relating to health.
2) Ask questions when you do not understand your treatment or what you are to do for your care.
3) You are expected to leave valuable items at home and bring only necessary items for your hospital stay.
4) To treat all hospital staff, other patients and visitors with courtesy and respect.
5) Understanding prescription drugs and their possible effects. And not to give medication prescribed for him or her to others.

6) To provide complete and accurate information for health insurance claims.
7) To communicate with the healthcare provider if his/her condition worsens or does not follow the expected course.
8) To pay for services billed in a timely manner.
9) To understand that some other patient’s medical condition may be more urgent than yours and accept that your doctor may need to attend them first.
10) To not bring small children as visitors as they are prone to get infected by serious resistant hospital micro-organisms.
11) To use hospital resources judicially to conserve electricity, water , paper etc.
12) The patients and relatives are legally bound not to destroy/destruct as they are liable for immediate arrest and imprisonment for three years and a fine Rs 50,000, replacement of damage, under the recently passed Clinical Establishment Protection Act, 2016 in Manipur.

National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Health Care Providers (NABH) states in its guidelines that the above patients and family rights and responsibilities be displayed in hospitals. So that there is increased understanding between healthcare providers and patients.

Shija Hospitals and Research Institute, in its persuit to achieve NABH accreditation follows the above and believes that it is essential for a hospital to inform its patients and their families their rights and responsibilities.