Patient Rights and Responsibilities

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Patient Rights and Responsibilities

At Settlement Health, we encourage you to be actively involved in your care by communicating openly and honestly with your health care team.
Patient Rights
  • Be informed about all services available at Settlement Health, and provisions for off-hours emergency care.
  • Be treated in private, with consideration, respect and dignity without regard to age, race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, or source of payment.
  • Be informed of all charges and the availability of any free or reduced-cost services.
  • Request and receive a list and explanation of all charges on your bill.
  • Know the name of the medical staff member responsible for coordinating your care, and of any person treating you at Settlement Health.
  • Discuss the care you are receiving with your provider or nurse and be fully informed about decisions involving your care.
  • Receive complete, easy-to-understand information about your diagnosis, treatment and prognosis.
  • Receive the information necessary to give informed consent for any non-emergency treatment. The information will include an explanation of the risks involved with your treatment and the alternatives available to you.
  • Effective pain management based on clinical status, needs, cultural and ethnic preferences, and age.
  • Refuse treatment and be informed of the medical risks this may have on your health.
  • Refuse to participate in experimental research.
  • Request a copy of your medical record for which the clinic can charge a fee.
  • Review your medical record under section 18 of the Public Health Law, and Subpart 50-3 of this title without charge upon request and make changes to your personal information.
  • Approve or refuse the release of your medical information to any health care facility or practitioner, except as required by law or third-party payment contract such as your insurance company.
Patient Responsibilities
  • Follow our procedures and be aware of our clinic hours and policies.
  • Comply with our no smoking, cell phone, and food policies.
  • Keep your scheduled appointments and, if unable to do so for any reason, please notify the office as soon as possible so we can make the appointment available for another patient.
  • Arrive on time to your appoint If you are more than 15 minutes late, your appointment may be rescheduled.
  • Bring all appropriate and required documentation with you to your appointments.
  • Notify us of changes in family size, address, phone number or insurance information.
  • Know the benefits and exclusions of your health plan coverage.
  • Pay all applicable co-payments and deductibles at the time of service and all charges, if any, for non-covered services that your insurance will not cover or pay for.
  • Be considerate and respectful to other patients and clinic personnel by limiting noise and inappropriate behavior.
  • Respect the rights, property and environment of all Settlement Health healthcare providers, employees and patients.
  • Understand that Settlement Health is not liable or responsible for your personal property.
  • Provide your provider or nurse with complete and accurate information about all present and past medical history, past illnesses, hospitalizations, and medications.
  • Inform your provider of medications taken at home including home remedies.
  • Ask questions to your provider or nurse and seek clarification until you fully understand the care and treatment you are receiving.
  • Clearly understand and follow the care and treatment plan recommended by your physician.
  • Report all unexpected health changes, in your condition to your provider or nurse.
  • Express your opinions, concerns or complaints in a constructive manner to any supervisor
  • Look after your children and not leave them unattended at any time in the facility. Employees are not responsible for looking over your children.

Advance Directives

Advance directives are verbal or written instructions made by you before an incapacitating illness or injury. Advance directives communicate that your wishes about your treatment be followed if you are too sick or unable to make decisions about your care. Advance directives include but are not limited to a health care proxy, consent to a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order recorded in your medical record and a living will.

It is the policy of the organization to support patients in their desire to establish advanced directives for themselves and their family members. Educational information is available for distribution to patients.  The Care Managers are available to provide patients with options to execute their directives.

In the event that a life threatening situation was to occur in a patient with known advanced directives, it is the policy of the organization that we DO NOT honor those directives on site.  Emergency medical services should be summoned immediately and the patient transported to a nearby hospital.  The patient’s wishes regarding advanced directives shall be communicated to the responding team, so that the hospital can be informed of the patients advanced directive status.  If the organization is in possession of a copy of the directives, it will be supplied to the EMS services to accompany the patient to the hospital.

Ask to speak to your provider or a Care Manager if you would like additional information on advance directives.