1.
Patients can expect appropriate
medical care
without regard to such considerations as race, color, religion,
national origin, or the source of payment for their care.
2.
Patients can expect to be treated respectfully by others, to be addressed by
their proper names and without undue familiarity, to be listened to
when they have questions or desire more information and to receive an
appropriate response.
3.
Patients can expect privacy and confidentiality in all aspects of their
care. When they are examined, they are entitled to privacy--to
have any observers unrelated to their care identified to them.
They may ask anyone to leave if they so desire and restrict their
visitors.
4.
Patients can expect to know the name of the doctor who is responsible for their
care, to talk
with that doctor and to receive the information necessary for them to
understand their medical problem. They can expect to be
informed of the planned course of treatment, including an appropriate
explanation about procedures or operations. Patients have the
right to ask
their doctor any questions that concern their health and future medical
outlook.
5.
Patients can expect efficient and courteous attention from all
personnel
when they request help, with the understanding that other patients
may have similar or more urgent needs.
6.
Research activities involving patients are to be carried out only
with their written consent and the approval of their personal
physician. After the details of the program have been
explained, they have the right to refuse to participate.
Moreover, they retain the right to cancel their participation at any
time.
7.
Every patient shall have the right to unrestricted communication
with any person or persons of his choice.
8.
Patients may
elect not to follow the advice of their doctors. If they elect to take
such action while hospitalized, they will be asked to sign an
"Against Medical Advice" form, and the physicians will not be
responsible for any harm which may result.
9.
Patients may inquire about their charges and obtain information about
payment of their medical bills.
Your
Responsibilities
1. Patients will be expected to keep
appointments or telephone the office
and/or The Endoscopy Center when they cannot keep a scheduled
appointment. They are expected to provide or make available pertinent
information, past or present,
relating to the status of their health. Patients should let us
know immediately if they do not understand any matter relating to
their diagnosis, care and treatment or instructions with which they
cannot comply.
2. Patients have the
responsibility to be considerate of
other patients with reference to noise and smoking. Regulations have been established to ensure
the rights and comfort of all patients and must be followed.
3. Patients have a
responsibility for making prompt
arrangements for payment of bills
and are to be prompt in asking questions they may have concerning
their bills.
Legal Rights of Marylanders to Decide About Health
Care
by J. Joseph Curran, Jr., Attorney
General
Adults generally have the right
to decide if they want medical treatment, unless they are not
competent. This right also includes decisions about treatments
that extend life, like life-support machines or feeding tubes.
Sometimes, an accident or
ilness takes away a person's ability to make health care
choices. But the decisions still must be made. If you are
unable to make them, others will. They will decide based on your
wishes, or your best interests if your wishes are unknown.
Maryland law gives you the
right to make many health care decisions in advance. One way to
do this is by using a written advance directive. For example, you can use a
written advance directive to name an agent to make your health care
decisions if you cannot. A written advance directive can also state
your treatment preferences, especially about life sustaining
procedures.
Maryland law also lets you make
an oral advance directive to your doctor, with a witness. Oral
advance directive can be used to name a health care agent, to make
decisions about life-sustaining procedures, or both.
How Do You Get More
Information?
This summary does
not cover every issue. If you have legal questions about your
rights, please talk to a lawyer. Also talk to your health care
provider about the medical issues involved in your care. Tell
those caring for you about your decisions and give them a copy of any
advance directive.
For a free copy of optional
advance directive forms, write to the Attorney General's Office,
Opinions Division, 200 St. Paul Place, Baltimore, MD 21202 or call at
(410) 576-7000. Forms are also available from the General
Assembly's Department of Legislative Reference at (410) 841-3810 (if
you are calling from the D.C. area, 858-3810), from the State Office
on Aging at (800) 243-3425, are at any Area Agency on Aging.
Patient
Rights