Patient Rights and Responsibilities

Submitted by: Mary Jane Isensee, RN, Administrative Director, Student Health Service, Oregon Institute of Technology, Klamath Falls, OR 97601-8801, office: 541.885.1800, FAX:541.885.1866,isenseem@mail.oit.osshe.edu

"The following are the Rights and Responsibilities of our health service. They are posted in our waiting room and handouts are also available in the waiting room. We also use handouts at talks that we give regarding the health service. We are thinking of putting them on our web page that we are currently developing."

OREGON INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
STUDENT HEALTH SERVICE

RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF STUDENT/CLIENT

Effective health care includes certain rights and responsibilities and requires a special relationship between the health care provider and the student. These rights and responsibilites will contribute to more effective care and greater satisfaction for you, the student.

The staff of the Student Health Service is pleased to work with you and encourages you to assume responsibility for your own health care.

RIGHTS:

  1. You have the right to be fully informed of your rights and responsibilities, and the staff will respect those rights.

  2. You have the right to be treated with respect, consideration and dignity.

  3. You have the right to privacy.

  4. You have the right to confidential treatment of all communication and records relating to you.

  5. You have the right to receive information in an understandable form, concerning your diagnosis, treatment and prognosis.

  6. You have the right to participate in decisions involving your care.

  7. You have the right to be fully informed of any charges for services.

  8. You have the right to know about the services available and how to use them.

  9. You have the right to refuse services, proposed tests, treatments or to participate in experimental research.

  10. You have the right to voice any grievance and/or suggestions without fear of discrimination.

  11. You have the right to competent, humane treatment, with appropriate respect for your opinions and beliefs.

  12. You have the right to choose health care providers whenever possible.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

As a consumer of health services you have responsibilities as well as rights. You can help yourself by being responsible in the following ways:

  1. Be responsible to give the health care provider complete and full information on yourself and your health status. Be honest and direct about yourself and your health needs and how you feel about your treatment plan.

  2. Be responsible by keeping appointments and following-up on treatments and plans of care. Failing to keep appointments deprives other students of the opportunity to be seen.

  3. Be responsible for understanding your health problems or needs and participating in your plan of care. Ask sufficient questions, make use of available information and education and show respect for the health care personnel.

  4. Be responsible by reporting changes in your health status related to your treatment.

  5. Be responsible in expressing grievances and suggestions, whenever indicated, rather than remaining silent, in order to assist the Student Health Service in improving the quality of health care and educational servi ces.
Go to next statement of Patient Rights and Responsibilities.

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