Your Legal Rights as a Patient

All patients have certain rights afforded to them by both federal laws and state laws. Often, these are expressed as a Patient’s Bill of Rights, which may be furnished at the time of admissions, or during the registration process if the patient is going in for scheduled surgery. While the wording on these types of documents may vary, in general, they all provide the following rights under the law:

Right to Information Disclosure

Patients have the right to receive full disclosure of their medical records. These records should be identical to the records kept on file within the hospital or doctor’s office. This information should be complete, and well documented as well. In terms of other types of information, patients have the right to be informed of any charges, treatment options, or other pertinent medical information before the service is rendered. This information must be provided in a manner that is understandable to the patient, while still conveying the information requested.

Right to Appropriate and Timely Care

Patients have the right to receive medical care that is both appropriate and timely. Doctors and hospitals do not have the right to withhold care that is necessary unless there is a compelling and overriding medical reason to do so. For example, in a medical emergency, standard medical care may be withheld until a later time in order to fully address the emergency treatment necessary for health and safety.

Right to Participation in Treatment Decisions

All patients have the right to make choices in regards to the treatment options that are available to them. Doctors should present all treatment options, along with the benefits and risks associated with each in order to help the patient make the best decision possible in his or her case.

Right to Refuse Care

All patients also have the right to refuse any medical treatment they wish. If they do so, however, it should be with the complete knowledge of potential consequences of refusal. For instance, refusal to accept a feeding tube should be noted along with the increased risk of malnutrition, along with other potential complications that could arise.