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Patient Rights
As a patient in
St. Joseph’s Wayne Hospital, you have the following rights (under law and
regulation). You are to be informed of these rights in advance of
furnishing or discontinuing care.
Medical Care
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To
receive the care and health services that the hospital is required by law
to provide.
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To
receive an understandable explanation from your physician of your complete
medical condition, recommended treatment, expected results, risks
involved, and reasonable medical alternatives. If your physician believes
that some of this information would be detrimental to your health or
beyond your ability to understand, the explanation must be given to your
next of kin or guardian.
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To give
informed, written consent prior to the start of specified, non-emergency
medical procedures or treatments. Your physician should explain to you –
in words you understand – specific details about the recommended procedure
or treatment, and risks involved, time required for recovery, and any
reasonable medical alternatives.
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To make
informed decisions regarding the course of care and treatment, including
resolving dilemmas about care decisions, formulating advance directives
and have hospital staff and practitioners who provide care in the hospital
comply with these directives, withholding resuscitative services, forgoing
or withdrawing life sustaining treatment, care at the end of life, and
managing pain effectively.
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To
receive information about pain and pain relief measures and to expect
quick response to reports of pain.
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To
refuse medication and treatment after possible consequences of this
decision have been made clearly to you, unless the situation is life
threatening or the procedure is required by law.
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To be
included in experimental research only if you give informed, written
consent. You have the right to refuse to participate.
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To
participate in the development and implementation of your plan of care.
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Communication and Information
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To have
a family member or representative notified promptly of your admission to
the hospital.
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To be
informed of the names and functions of all health care professionals
providing you with personal care.
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To
receive, as soon as possible, the services of a translator or interpreter
if you need one to help you communicate with the hospital’s health care
personnel.
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To be
informed of the names and functions of any outside health care and
educational institutions involved in your treatment. You may refuse to
allow their participation.
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To
receive, upon request, the hospital’s written policies and procedures
regarding life-saving methods and the use or withdrawal of life support
mechanisms.
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To be
advised in writing of the hospital’s rules regarding the conduct of
patients and visitors.
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To
receive a summary of your patient rights that includes the name and phone
number of the hospital staff member who you can ask questions or complain
to about any possible violation of your rights.
Medical Records
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To the
confidentiality of your clinical record.
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To
have prompt access to the information in your medical record. If your
physician feels this information is detrimental to your health, your next
of kin or guardian has a right to see your records.
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To
obtain a copy of your medical record, at a reasonable fee within 30 days
after a written request to the hospital.
Cost of Hospital Care
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To
receive a copy of the hospital payment rates. If you request an itemized
bill, the hospital must provide one, and explain any questions you may
have. You have a right to appeal any charges.
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To be
informed by the hospital if part or all of your bill will not be covered
by insurance. The hospital is required to help you obtain any public
assistance and private health care benefits to which you may be entitled.
Discharge Planning
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To
receive information and assistance from your attending physician and other
health care providers if you need to arrange for continuing health care
after your discharge from the hospital.
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To
receive sufficient time before discharge to arrange for continuing health
care needs.
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To be
informed by the hospital about any special appeal process to which you are
entitled by law if you disagree with the hospital’s discharge plan.
Transfers
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To be
transferred to another facility only when you or your family has made the
request, or instances where the transferring hospital is unable to provide
you with the care you need.
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To
receive an advance explanation from a physician of the reasons for your
transfer and possible alternatives.
Personal Needs
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To be
treated with courtesy, consideration, and respect for your dignity,
individuality, and personal privacy.
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To
express your spiritual beliefs and cultural practices as long as they do
not harm others or interfere with treatment.
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Taso
have access to storage space in your room for your private use. The
hospital must also have a system to safeguard your personal property.
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To
receive care in a safe setting.
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Freedom from Abuse and Restraints
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To be free from all forms of abuse or harassment.
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To be free from restraints and seclusion that is not
medically necessary or if these are used for coercion, discipline,
convenience, or retaliation.
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Chemical or physical restraints that are imposed to
protect the safety of you or others will be instituted only after less
restrictive measures have been found to be ineffective and must be
authorized by a physician and utilized only for a limited period of time.
Legal Rights
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To
treatment and medical services without discrimination based on age,
religion, national origin, sex, sexual preferences, handicap, diagnosis,
ability to pay or source of payment.
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To
exercise all your constitutional, civil and legal rights.
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To
contract directly with a New Jersey licensed registered professional nurse
of the patient’s own choosing for private professional nursing care during
his or her hospitalization. A registered professional nurse so contracted
shall adhere to hospital policies and procedures in regard to treatment
protocols, and policies and procedures so long as these requirements are
the same for private duty and regularly employed nurses. The hospital,
upon request, shall provide the patient or designee with a list of local
non-profit professional nurses association registries that refer nurses
for private professional nursing care.
Questions and Complaints
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To present questions or grievances
to a designated hospital staff member and to receive a response and
explanation of resolution in a reasonable period of time. The hospital
must provide you with the address and telephone number of the New Jersey
Department of Health agency that handles questions and complaints. You
may directly contact the NJ Department of Health Complaint Hotline at
1-800-792-9770.
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This
list of Patient Rights is an abbreviated summary of New Jersey, HCFA and
JCAHO standards (laws and regulations) that govern the rights of hospital
patients. For more information, these are available through your
hospital.
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To a
timely referral of concerns regarding quality of care or premature
discharge, to the appropriate Utilization and Quality Control by calling
the Peer Review Organization of New Jersey at 732-238-5570.
In case
of any questions or complaints, you may call the St. Joseph’s Wayne Hospital
Department of Patient Satisfaction at 973-956-3735.
Opening Doors to
Better Medicine
SM
Sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth
.
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