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Patient Rights

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Hillcrest Health System recognizes:

You, the patient, have the right to considerate and respectful care:

  • the care of the patient includes consideration of the psychosocial, spiritual, and cultural variables that influence the perceptions of illness;
  • the care of the dying patient optimizes the comfort and dignity of the patient through:
    • treating primary and secondary symptoms that respond to treatment as desired by the patient or surrogate decision maker;
    • effectively managing pain; and
    • acknowledging the psychosocial and spiritual concerns of the patient and the family regarding dying and the expression of grief by the patient and family. 
You, the patient, have the right to collaboration with your physician, to make decisions involving your health care, including:
  • the right to accept medical care or to refuse treatment to the extent permitted by law and to be informed of the medical consequences of such refusal; and
  • the right to formulate advance directives and appoint a surrogate to make health care decisions on your behalf to the extent permitted by law:
    • in formulating an advance directive, Hillcrest has in place a mechanism to ascertain the existence of and to assist in the development of advance directives at the time of your admission;
    • the provision of care shall not be conditioned on the existence of an advance directive; and   
    • any advance directive(s) shall be in the patient's medical record and shall be reviewed periodically with you or your surrogate decision maker. 
You, the patient, have the right to the information necessary to enable you to make treatment decisions that reflect your wishes; a policy on informed decision-making has been developed by the medical staff and governing body and is consistent with any legal requirements.

You, the patient, have the right to receive care in a safe setting, and to be free from all forms of abuse or harassment.

You, the patient, have the right to be free from restraints, of any form, that are not medically necessary or are used as a means of coercion, discipline, convenience, or retaliation by staff.

You, the patient, have the right to receive, at the time of admission, information about patient rights policies and the mechanism for the initiation, review and, when possible, resolution of patient complaints concerning the quality of care.

You, the patient, or your designated representative have the right to participate in the consideration of ethical issues that arise in the care of the patient. Hillcrest has a mechanism for the consideration of ethical issues arising in the care of patients and to provide education to caregivers and patients on ethical issues in health care.

You, the patient, have the right to be informed of any human experimetation, other research or education projects affecting your care or treatment.

You, the patient, have the right, within the limits of the law:
  • to personal privacy and confidentiality of information;
  • to have a family member or representative of your own choice and your own physician notified promptly of your admission to the hospital;
  • to confidentiality of your clinical records; and 
  • to access information contained in your clinical records within a reasonable time frame.

Your guardian, next of kin, or legally authorized responsible person, to the extent permitted by law, has the right to exercise rights delineated on your behalf, if you, the patient:

  • have been adjudicated incompetent in accordance with the law;
  • are found by your physician to be medically incapable of understanding the proposed treatment or procedure;
  • are unable to communicate your wishes regarding treatment; or
  • are a minor. 

You, the patient, have the right at your own expense to consult with a specialist.

Transfer and Continuity of Care

You, the patient, have the right not to be transferred to another facility unless you have received a complete explanation of the need for the transfer and of the alternatives to such a transfer and unless the transfer is acceptable to the other facility. You, the patient, have the right to be informed by the practitioner responsible for your care, or that practitioner's delegate, of any continuing health care requirements following discharge from the medical center.

Conflict Resolution

You, the patient, have the right to speedy resolution of conflicts about patient care. Questions about patient care should be addressed first to the nursing staff or attending physician. You, the patient, have the right to appeal patient care decisions:
  • for hospital care, to the Hillcrest Ethics Committee by contacting the Pastoral Care office at 202-9530; and
  • for clinic care, to Clinic Administration at 202-4670. 

A listing of patient advocacy groups is available to you, the patient, through Hillcrest's Social Services Department. Please call 202-5200.

If you believe your rights have been violated or you have other concerns about your care at Hillcrest, or if you have a concern about patient abuse, neglect, or misappropriation of property at Hillcrest, you may contact:
Health Facility Licensure and Certification Division Texas Department of Health 1100 West 49th Street Austin, Texas 78711-2668 1-800-228-1570

Communications

You, the patient, have the right to communicate regarding your treatment. Services are available for patients who are hearing-impaired, blind, do not speak English, or otherwise have special communication needs. Contact the Nursing Supervisor by dialing "0".