Patients' Rights and Responsibilities

Every patient has the right to competent, compassionate, respectful care in a setting that fosters the patient's individual dignity and comfort at all times. You are an important member of your health care team. Knowing your rights and responsibilities is a key to your full participation in your care.

UF Health Shands Hospital

Your rights

• Respectful care that is free from discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, age, sex, physical, mental or other disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, citizenship, veteran status, source of payment or other non-medically relevant factors.
• Privacy and confidentiality
• Know what patient services are available to you and receive financial counseling so you may meet financial obligations.
• Receive, upon request, prior to treatment, a reasonable estimate of charges for medical care.
• Be called by your preferred name and pronouns
• Know which rules apply to you.
• Know who is providing your medical services and who is responsible for your care.
• Be provided sign language or medical interpreter services if you have a need at no charge to you.
• Be informed of pastoral services and be visited by a chaplain upon request. You many also be visited by your own spiritual leader.
• Upon request have your primary care provider notified of admission to the hospital.
• Have visitors. Visitation may be limited in accordance with reasonable restrictions based on safety and security.
  • Discrimination in visitation access based on marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, race, national origin or religion is prohibited.
    
• Have someone remain with you in patient-accessible areas for emotional support during your hospital stay (unless your visitor(s) compromises other patients' rights to safety and health).
• Receive a careful evaluation, followed by polite and prompt treatment.
• Receive a reasonable response to a question or request
• If it is safe for you to participate, be given the choice to watch certain procedures.
• Have your pain assessed and reduced as much as safely possible with pain management.
• Receive information and instructions in ways that you understand. Your doctor will inform you about your diagnosis, planned course of treatment, any alternatives, the risks and benefits of any treatments, the prognosis, and the expected and unexpected outcomes of any treatment, unless it is medically inadvisable or impossible to give this information to you. You may refuse treatment which shall be documented by the medical provider and be informed of the medical results of this decision.
  
• Please talk openly with your doctor regarding:
  • Your illness
  • The reason for provided treatments and tests, who does them and who will share the results of those treatment or tests with you
  • Your wish for a second opinion from another doctor
  • Your wish to change doctors and/or hospitals
  • Your right to request an ethics consult from Ethics Service
• Receive treatment for any medical condition that will deteriorate from failure to provide treatment.
• Know if medical treatment is for purposes of experimental research and to give your consent or refusal to participate in such research.
• Receive an explanation of all papers you are asked to sign and upon request receive an itemized bill or statement of charges.
• Express complaints regarding any violation of your rights
• If you are a Medicare patient, upon request and in advance of treatment you have a right to know whether the Medicare assignment rate is accepted and you have the right to receive a "Notice of Beneficiary Discharge rights," "Notice of Non-coverage Rights" and "Notice of the Beneficiary Right to Appeal Premature Discharge."

Condition H

When could a patient or family member call Condition H?

• If a noticeable medical change occurs in the patient and the health care team is not recognizing the concern.
• If there is a breakdown in communication and/or confusion in the plan of care with the health care team.
• If you feel your concerns are not being heard and/or your needs are not recognized or met.

Before calling Condition H, a patient or family member should first:

• Identify the problem and communicate with your nurse.
• If a problem persists, contact the charge nurse who will contact the provider.
• If a problem is still not adequately addressed and you have serious concerns about how your care is being provided, managed or planned, consider activating Condition H.

Your responsibilities

• Provide your health care team accurate and complete information about your health, including your present complaint, past illnesses, hospitalizations, medication and other matters relating to your health.
• Inform the care team is you do not understand the plan for your treatment.
• Keep appointments.
• Meet the financial responsibilities associated with your care.
  
• Follow the care recommended by your health care team members. You are responsible for the risks and outcomes if you do not follow provided instructions or refuse treatment.
  • If you leave the hospital against the advice of your provider, the hospital and doctors will not be responsible for any health consequences that may occur.
• Respect the rights of other patients, families and hospital staff.
• Keep a quiet restful environment because rest is an important part of healing.
• Follow hospital rules and regulations that apply to patient conduct such as:
  • Not smoking on hospital grounds.
  • Acting with respect for hospital property
  • Refraining from the use of inappropriate language such as cursing or swearing
  • Refrain from behavior and language that threatens patients, families and staff with bodily injury, fear and intimidation.
    • Please do not use words, actions, or behaviors that are threatening to oneself or others.
    • This includes words, actions, or behaviors that reflects a serious intention to instill fear in another person or the intent to cause physical or mental harm that could lead to psychological or physical harm of another person.
  • Report unexpected changes in your condition to the responsible caregiver.

The members of your health care team will:

• Introduce themselves to you.
• Speak and write respectfully to you.
• Call you by your preferred name and pronouns.
• Confirm your identity by checking wristbands or ankle bands and asking your name and date of birth before administering any medication or treatment.
• Explain their roles in your care.
• Seek your opinion about the goals of your care and take the time to listen to you.
• Consider your interests and needs, not just those related to illness.
• Honor you advance care wishes. An advance directive can express both you want and don't want.
• Provide opportunities for patients to grow and learn.
• Encourage you to bring your clothes from home as space permits, so that you may be more comfortable during your stay.
• Try to keep your schedule and activities as normal as possible.

UF Health Shands Children's Hospital

Every patient has the right to competent, considerate, respectful care in a setting that fosters the patient's individual dignity and comfort at all times.

Your child and you areimportant members of the health care team. Knowing your rights and responsibilities is a key to your full participation in your child's care.

As a parent or legal guardian of your child, you have the right to:

• Respectful care that is free from discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, age, sex, physical, mental or other disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, ancestry, marital status, citizenship, status as a veteran, ownership of a firearm or other non-medically relevant factors.
• Expect certain rights to privacy and confidentiality without regard to economic status.
• Receive financial counseling so you may meet financial obligations and know what patient services are available to your child.
• Have you and your child called by your proper names.
• Know the name of the physician who has primary responsibility for coordinating your child's care, as well as the names and professional relationships of other providers, nurses and staff who be involved in your child's care.
• Be provided sign language or medical interpreter services if you or your child has a need at no charge to you.
• Have reasonable accommodations made for your religious or spiritual preferences.
• Upon request, have your child's own physician notified of admission to the hospital.
• Have visitors.
  • To ensure the safety of all of our patients your visitors under 14 years of age should be
  • Your visitors should be free from colds, flu or any illness that might be spreadable.
  • Reasonable restrictions are placed upon visitation, including restrictions upon the hours of visitation and number of visitors.
  • Discrimination in visitation access based on sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression is prohibited.
• Have someone remain with your child in patient-accessible areas for emotional support during their hospital stay (unless your child's visitor(s) compromises your child's or other patients' rights to safety and health).
• Be present for a careful evaluation, followed by polite and prompt treatment, and if it is safe for you to participate, be given the choice to watch certain procedures.
• Have someone remain with your child in patient­ accessible areas.
• Have your child's pain assessed and reduced as much as safely possible with pain management.
• Receive information and instructions in ways that you understand. Your doctor will inform you about your child's diagnosis, planned course of treatment, any alternatives, the risks and benefits of any treatments, the prognosis, and the expected and unexpected outcomes of any treatment, unless it is medically inadvisable or impossible to give this information to you. You may refuse treatment for your child which shall be documented by the medical provider
• Please talk openly with your child's doctor, regarding:
  • Your child's illness
  • Why treatments and tests are done, who does them and who will share the results of those treatment or tests with you
  • Your wish for a second opinion from another doctor
  • Your wish to change doctors and/or hospitals
  • Ethical issues about your child's care
• Receive treatment for your child's medical condition that will deteriorate from failure to provide treatment.
• Know if medical treatment is for purposes of experimental research and to give consent or refusal for your child to participate in such research.
• Receive an explanation of all papers you are asked to sign and upon request, receive an itemized bill or statement of charges.
• Express complaints regarding any violation of your child's rights.
• Report unexpected changes in your child's condition to the responsible caregiver.
  • If you feel your concerns about your child's clinical care are not being addressed you have the right to call a Condition H.

As a parent or legal guardian of your child, you are responsible to/we ask that you:

• Provide your health care team accurate and complete information about your child's health.
  • Share information about your child's health, such as a complete health history, symptoms, treatments, medicines, vitamins, supplements taken and any other information that could bear on your child's health.
  • Be honest about what you tell us.
  • Tell us about your child's health risks, such as allergies or other risks that might impact your care.
  • Give us copies of any legal documents that affect your child's health care, including custody or guardianship documents.
• Meet the financial responsibilities associated with your child's care.
• Follow the care recommended for your child by the doctors, nurses and other care team members and remember you are responsible for your actions if you do not follow instructions or refuse treatment.
• If your child leaves the hospital against the advice of their doctor, the hospital and doctors will not be responsible for any medical consequences that may occur.
• Respect the rights of other patients, families and hospital personnel.
• Keep a quiet restful environment because rest is an important part of healing
• Not use inappropriate language such as cursing or swearing
• Wear or show only items that are fit for a child-friendly environment.
• Respect hospital property
• Follow hospital rules and regulations that apply to patient conduct. Such as:
  • Not smoking on hospital grounds
  • Refrain from behavior that is threatening to staff such as putting another person in fear of bodily injury:
  • Please do not use words, actions, or behaviors that are threatening to oneself or others and that a reasonable person would find threatening, violent and/or potentially violent.
  • This includes words, actions, or behaviors that reflects a serious intention to instill fear in another person or the intent to cause physical or mental harm that could lead to psychological or physical harm of another person.

The members of your child's health care team will:

• Introduce themselves to you and your child.
• Speak and write respectfully to you and your child.
• Confirm your child's identity by checking wristbands or ankle bands and asking their name and date of birth before administering any medication or treatment.
• Explain their roles in your child's care.
• Seek your opinion about the goals of your child's care and take the time to listen to you.
• Consider your child's interests and needs, not just those related to illness.
• Ensure that our staff understands the needs and concerns of children, teenagers and young adults.
• Provide opportunities for patients to grow and learn.
• Encourage you to bring your child's clothes and special items from home as space permits so that your child may be more comfortable during their stay.
• Try to keep your child's schedule and activities as normal as possible.

Questions

If you have any concerns about your Patient Rights and Responsibilities, please call the Patient Advocate Office at (352) 265-0123.

If you have a complaint and wish to file a grievance you may contact the Patient Advocate Office or you may also contact the following agencies:

• Agency for Health Care Administration 2727 Mahan Drive Tallahassee, FL 32308 (888) 419-3456
• Joint Commission Office of Quality Monitoring One Renaissance Boulevard Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181 (630) 792-5636 (F) www.jointcommission.org/GeneralPublic/Complaint patientsafetyreport@jointcommission.org

Commitment to patient care

Our goal is to provide the best patient care. If at any time you have questions or concerns about the quality of care that you or a family member are receiving or have received at our hospital, do not hesitate to speak with your nurse or the nursing supervisor.

If you feel that your issue wasn’t resolved, please contact a Patient Representative at (352) 265-0123 with your compliments, complaints, or concerns. You may call at any time during or after your stay.