Patient Rights and Responsibilities

Submitted by: Mary Deal, MSN, ARNP, Director, Health Services, Clark College, Vancouver, WA 98663.

"We are a nurse directed health service with 6 employees (2 secretaries, 1 Nurse Practitioner, 1 RN, 1 RN/Health Educator and myself. We average 58 student contacts a day, so are very busy. We are not accredited. We are located in the southern part of Oregon near the California border in a rural area. We are a technical college with about 2200 students, both residential students and commuter. We have programs in Dental Hygiene, Medical Imaging (Radiology), Vascular, Nursing, Industrial Management, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electronic Engineer,Laser Optical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering and Mechanical Engineering."

THE PATIENT HAS A RIGHT

To be treated with respect and dignity and be provided with courteous, considerate care;
To be informed about the diagnosis and treatment of the health problem in terms that can be understood;
To know the chances that treatment will be effective and to know the possible side effects and alternatives;
To receive confidential treatment of disclosures and medical records and, except when required by law, be able to approve or refuse their release;
To know who is responsible for providing treatment;
To have a second medical opinion before making any decisions, and to refuse treatment, but must be informed of the risks of refusal;
To participate in decisions regarding health care;
To be informed of the personal responsibilities involved in seeking treatment and maintaining heath and well-being;
To privacy;
To have access to information concerning health education, self-care and prevention of illness.

THE PATIENT HAS A RESPONSIBILITY

To inform the practitioner of any changes in their health status that could affect treatment;
To adhere to the prescribed treatment plan and discuss any desired change;
To act in a considerate and cooperative manner with the Health Services staff;
To ask questions and seek clarification regarding areas of concern;
To weight the consequences of refusing to comply with instructions and recommendations;
To assist the practitioner in compiling a complet health record by authorizing Health Services to obtain necessary medical information from appropriate sources;
To keep appointments on time;
To cancel appointments only when absolutely necessary, and far enough in advance so that other patients might utilize that time.

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Go to the menu of selections in the Winter 1996 issue of CQ.