Quality care is a long-standing commitment of Skyline Hospital. Your rights and responsibilities as a patient are an integral part of that care. This statement of Patient Rights and Responsibilities has been developed to help you fully understand your involvement in the healing process.

As an individual, you have certain basic human rights that do not end when you’re in the hospital. As a hospital patient, your rights of personal dignity, free expression and free decision are very important factors in your recover.

In providing care, hospitals also have the right to expect behavior from you, your relatives, and friends, which considering your illness, is reasonable and responsible.

You have entered into an important relationship with Skyline Hospital. Your care, comfort, and peace of mind are prime concerns to us. It is with this spirit of teamwork between patients and hospital staff that the following list of Patient’s Rights and Responsibilities is presented. Please read these rights and responsibilities carefully and completely. We believe that observance of them will contribute to better care of you as our patient. It is important to also note that our hospital is responsible for educating the staff about your rights and their role supporting the rights.

As a Patient, You have Rights:

• To receive considerate and respectful care necessary for your medical problem, without discrimination because of your race, creed, sex, national origin, or source of payment for your care.
• To know the names and responsibilities of all those caring for you.
• To clear and complete information concerning your condition and care, including explanations in understandable language of procedures, tests or treatment before you consent to them. This information includes a description of the procedure or treatment, the significant risks involved, reasonable medical alternatives, a prediction of the effect on you and approximate cost.
• To privacy and respect as you are examined and treated. You may request to have a person of your own sex present if you wish. This means you may:
• Refuse to talk with or see anyone not officially connected with the hospital including visitors, or those not directly involved in your care.
• Wear appropriate clothing and religious or other symbolic items, as long as they do not interfere with your treatment.
• To assurance that any discussion of your health care is confidential as well as the handling of your records.
• To seek another medical opinion or change physicians or clinical staff as well as refuse treatment or leave the hospital, even if this is against medical advice.
• To reasonable safety insofar as hospital practices and environment are concerned.
• To request a transfer to another room if another patient or visitor in the room is unreasonably disturbing you.
• You have the right to designate a decision maker in the case you become incapable of understanding proposed treatment or procedure or if you are unable to communicate your wishes regarding your care.
• To receive a copy of your medical records and a copy of your hospital bill with an explanation of charges.
• You have the right to forulate advance directives.
• You have the right to access protective services.

As a Patient, you have Responsibilities:

• To actively participate in decisions regarding your health care.
• To be as accurate and complete as possible when providing information about your medical history.
• To ask for clarification about any aspect of your care which you do not understand.
• To follow your physician’s advice and instructions. Should you refuse treatment, however, you are responsible for those actions.
• To notify your physician or nurse if you notice any change in your health.
• To be considerate of other patients, visitors, volunteers, and hospital personnel and, to the extent possible, see that your visitors are considerate as well, especially with reference to noise and smoking.
• To regard other patients’ medical information as confidential.
• To respect hospital property and equipment.
• To pay your bill promptly. If there is a hardship, to let us know so that we may help you.
• To tell your caregivers if they have not fulfilled their commitment to your care or showed concern and respect for you.