As you know, there are three basic goals for every health care bill of rights: to help patients be treated as individuals by health care workers and insurance companies; to encourage a strong relationship between patients and their health care workers; and to show patients that they play a huge role in their own health. If a surveyor asked your nursing assistants questions about patient rights, would they be able to come up with the right answers? To make sure, here is some basic information (and ten tips) about patient rights to share with the CNAs at your workplace.
Health Care Rights
Rights are very important to Americans. Our country was founded on the belief that every individual is entitled to certain rights-like life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. And, we don't lose our rights just because we get sick, need home care or move into a nursing home or assisted living facility. Wherever we go, our rights go with us!
However, when people become patients, it's common for them to feel like they are powerless over what happens to them. That's why it's so important for your patients to learn about their health care rights. This helps them to:
- Know they will be treated as individuals.
- Understand that they can make their own medical decisions.
- Realize that they do have power because of the important role they play in their own health.
While there are a few differences between the rights of a hospital patient, a nursing home or assisted living resident and a home care client, you'll find that the basic list of health care rights is the same for everyone.
Patient Right #1: The Right to Information
All patients have the right to:
- Receive current information about their diagnosis, treatment and prognosis. This includes learning about any risks involved in a particular treatment and what the alternatives might be. They must also be told how long a treatment will take and if a certain treatment is experimental. (They have the right to refuse the treatment if they don't want it.)
- Know the identity of health care workers involved in their care. (They also have the right to be told if any of their caregivers are students or trainees.)
- Know how much a particular treatment or service will cost-and how much of this cost will come out of their pocket.
Patient Right #2: The Right to Respect
All patients have the right to:
- Expect their health care workers to be considerate and respectful.
- Receive care without discrimination because of their race, culture, religion, age, gender or physical disability.
- Expect their health care workers to be honest and ethical.
- Remain free from any abuse or neglect.
- Be allowed to live a high quality of life, free from unnecessary physical or chemical restraints.
- Be able to keep and use their personal belongings...and have those belongings treated carefully and respectfully.
Patient Right #3: The Right to Participate
All patients have the right to:
- Make decisions about their own care.
- Change their minds about health care treatments and services.
- Refuse care (after being told what might happen if they do refuse).
- Have an advance directive if they want one...including a living will or a health care power of attorney.
Patient Right #4: The Right to Privacy
All patients have the right to:
- Expect confidentiality from every health care worker who provides care.
- Review their own health care records if they want to. If they read something in their record that they don't understand, they have the right to have it explained to them.
- Expect privacy during their care.
- Be allowed to visit privately with friends or family members.
- Have private telephone conversations.
- Receive personal mail.
Patient Right #5: The Right to Quality Care
All patients have the right to:
- Expect that the same health care workers will care for them every day-as much as possible.
- Be treated like an individual.
- Expect that their health care workers will keep them safe from harm or injury.
- Get regular exercise (as tolerated).
- Receive the same quality of care-regardless of their ability to pay their health care bills.
Patient Right #6: The Right to Make a Complaint
All patients have the right to:
- Make suggestions or complaints about their care-without being afraid of the consequences. For example, patients can't be discharged simply because they're grumpy or they make frequent complaints.
- Switch to a different health care facility or agency if they want to.
- Know the health care organization's policies for handling a complaint.
- Have a prompt and fair response to any complaint.
- Take their complaint to the state if they are not satisfied with how an organization handles it.
Ten Tips for Supporting Patient Rights
- Listen to your patients when they tell you what they need. Remember that each patient is different-even if they have the same health problems. Make an effort to treat every patient as an individual.
- Remember that the patient's family may want to be involved in making health care decisions. This is okay if the patient wants family members to participate, but keep in mind that the patient has the right to privacy, too.
- Make it a habit to explain what you are going to do with a patient-before you do it! Your patients will be better prepared and more able to cooperate if they know what's going on. For example, explain to Mr. Wilson that you're going to help him change position in bed-before you pull down his blanket and sheet!
- Remember that it's possible for strangers to use illegal electronic devices to listen in on cell phone conversations. If you are talking to your supervisor about a patient over a cell phone, don't use the patient's last name.
- If you travel from patient to patient during your work day, be careful to keep your patient documentation private. Don't let your next patient see what you wrote about your previous patient.
- Don't gossip about your patients with anyone-even other members of the health care team. It's not necessary to share personal information about a patient unless it makes a difference to the patient's health. For example, let's say your patient, Mrs. Parker, told you a secret...that many years ago, she had an affair. This information has no impact on her current health and is no one else's business.
- Be honest with your patients and their family members at all times. If they ask you a question that you can't answer, try saying: "I don't know, but I'll check with my supervisor." (But, be sure you follow through by discussing the issue with your supervisor.)
- Put your own needs aside during the work day. Your job is to put your patients' needs first. By doing this, you'll be protecting their health care rights-and showing your patients that you are truly concerned about them.
- Encourage your patients to tell you or your supervisor about a complaint first-so that you have a chance to make things better. (But, remember, all patients have the right to take their complaint to the state if they are unhappy with how your workplace handles the situation.)
- Balance your loyalty to your coworkers with the safety and well-being of your patients. Report any violations of patient rights that you witness.
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