Your Rights & Responsibilities as a Patient

While you are a patient, you have certain clearly defined rights and responsibilities. We want you to be well informed because we recognize that an informed patient will be less apprehensive and more relaxed. You may also respond better and more quickly to your treatment if you understand the nature of your illness. We believe an informed patient, who is involved in making choices and selecting options for their health care, is more likely to be satisfied with the outcome of treatment.

The following is a brief summary of your rights as a patient and what you should expect from the hospital, its doctors and staff. It also includes our rights as to what we expect from you as a patient. Please talk with your nurse or doctor if you have any questions concerning this information, your care or treatment.

If the patient is under the age of 18, we will inform the responsible parent, relative or guardian of all rights and responsibilities.

Your Rights as a Patient

You will not be subjected to any procedure without your consent. You are entitled to receive adequate and appropriate care and to receive, from the appropriate individuals within the hospital, clear, concise information about your medical condition, proposed course of treatment and prospects of recovery, in terms that you can understand, unless medically contraindicated as documented by the attending doctor in the medical record. If you are not medically able to receive or participate in your medical decisions, the information will be available to another legally authorized individual.

You have the right to receive care that takes into consideration the psychosocial, spiritual and cultural values that influence the way you view your illness.

You have the right to appropriate assessment and management of pain.

You have the right to be informed of and give consent to any research, educational project or experimental procedure directly involving you. Refusal to participate in such projects will not jeopardize or affect your care in any way.

You have the right to expect reasonable safety in the performance of procedures and safety in the environment.

You have the right to access protective services.

You have the right to expect reasonable continuity of care, including discharge planning. You will be instructed about how to continue your health care after you leave the hospital. If this is necessary, you will be instructed as to when to see your doctors. If transfer to another health care facility is necessary, you will receive an explanation as to why the transfer is required and any other choices available to you. You will be given assistance in making arrangements for transfer.

You have the right to expect that, within its capacity, the hospital will respond to your request for service. The hospital will provide evaluation, service, and/or referrals as indicated by the urgency of the case. You have the right to consult with a specialist or change attending doctors at your own expense.

You have the right to formulate advance directives and have your care providers comply with these directives in accordance with applicable law.

You have the right to have a family member or representative of your choice and your own doctor notified of your admission to the hospital.

You have the right to obtain information as to any relationship of the hospital to other health care and educational institutions, in so far as your care is concerned. You also have the right to obtain information as to the existence of any professional relationships among individuals who are responsible for your treatment.

You have the right to privacy, to the extent feasible, concerning your own medical care program. Case discussion, consultation, examination and treatment are confidential and should be conducted discreetly.

You have the right to be treated equally and cannot be denied appropriate care on the basis of race, religion, sex, age, color, national origin, handicap, marital status, sexual orientation or source of payment.

You have the right upon request to inspect or receive for a reasonable fee, a copy of your health information record (medical record). A third party shall not be given a copy of your medical record without your prior authorization.

You are entitled to confidential treatment of your personal and medical records and may refuse their release to a person outside the hospital except as required because of a transfer to another health care facility or as required by law or third-party payment contract.

You have the right to request brand name medications instead of generic medications.

You have the right to refuse treatment to the extent permitted by law, and to be informed of the medical consequences of your refusal. When a refusal of treatment prevents the hospital or its staff from providing appropriate care, according to ethical and professional standards, the relationship with the patient may be terminated upon reasonable notice.

You have the right to access the Hospital Ethics Committee regarding ethical issues as they affect the quality of your care at the hospital. You have the right to be involved in ethical questions that arise in the course of your care. Decisions about care at the end of life will be handled with respect and sensitivity. If you are a patient or family member at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital and would like to speak with an Ethics Committee member for help, please call 734-712-5874. At Saint Joseph Mercy Saline Hospital and Saint Joseph Mercy Livingston Hospital, please tell your caregiver you would like to speak with someone regarding ethics.

You are entitled to exercise your rights as a patient and as a citizen. To this end you may, free from restraint, interference, coercion, discrimination or reprisal, present grievances or recommended changes in policies and services, on behalf hospital staff, to government officials or to another person of your choice within or outside of the hospital. You are entitled to information about hospital policies and procedures for initiation, review and resolution of patient complaints.

You have the right to receive and to examine an explanation of your bill regardless of the source of payment. You also have the right to receive, upon request, information on financial assistance available through the hospital.

You have the right to know the name and professional status of those who are responsible for and are providing your direct care. All staff members are required to wear photo ID badges and you may expect that the people caring for you will introduce themselves and explain their roles in your care. You are entitled to information concerning your continuing health needs, and to alternatives for meeting those needs. You have the right to be involved in your discharge planning, if appropriate. You and when appropriate, your family will be informed about the outcomes of care, including unanticipated outcomes.

You are entitled to associate and have private communications and consultations with your doctor, attorney or any other person of your choice. You have the right to send and receive personal mail, unopened, on the same day it is received at the hospital, unless medically contraindicated as documented by the attending doctor in the medical record. The hospital will encourage and assist, to the fullest possible extent, the exercise of your civil and religious liberties, including the right to make independent personal decisions and the right to knowledge of available choices. Unless medically contraindicated as documented by the attending doctor in the medical record, you may meet with and participate in the activities of social, religious and community groups at your discretion.

You are entitled to be free from mental and physical abuse, and from physical and chemical restraints, except those restraints authorized in writing by the attending doctor for a specified and limited time, or as necessitated by an emergency to protect you from injury to yourself or others.

You are entitled to be free from performing services for the hospital that are not included for therapeutic purposes in the plan of care.

You have the right to receive accommodation of special needs such as an interpreter, seeing eye dog or special equipment.

You have the right to know what hospital rules and regulations apply to your conduct as a patient, and you are responsible for following the rules and regulations affecting patient care and conduct as listed below.

Complaints

Patient, family members and visitors are encouraged to share concerns or complaints about the care or service provided and to have those issues reviewed and resolved. Saint Joseph Mercy Health System assures that there will be no retaliation for filing a complaint.

You may file a complaint by speaking directly with your caregiver or by contacting the Patient Relations Department either in writing or by calling 734-712-2700. You may also access the Patient Relations Department via the Saint Joseph Mercy Health System web site at www.sjmercyhealth.org under the Patient Information section.

You can expect to receive acknowledgement of your complaint, either verbally or in writing. Every effort will be made to resolve your complaint within seven days. During this time you also have the right to file a complaint with the Michigan Department of Consumer & Industry Services.

The address is as follows:

Department of Consumer & Industry Affairs
Bureau of Health Systems
Complaint Intake
P.O. Box 30664
Lansing, MI 48909

If you or your representative needs assistance or wishes to make an oral complaint to the Department of Consumer & Industry Affairs, they can also be reached at 1-800-882-6006, or you may contact the Joint Commission's Office of Quality Monitoring by either calling 1-800-994-6610 or emailing complaint@jcaho.org.

Privacy Complaints

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with Saint Joseph Mercy Health System. Complaints may be submitted in writing or by calling the Patient Relations Department at 734-712-2700 or the Privacy Officer at 734-712-4542. Privacy Complaint forms for written complaints are available by calling the above numbers, or by printing the form from the Saint Joseph Mercy Health System web site at www.sjmercyhealth.org.

You may also file a privacy complaint with the Office of Civil Rights, Department of Health and Human Services.

If you have any questions about the privacy complaint process, please contact the Privacy Officer at 734-712-4542.

Your Responsibilities as a Patient

Your health care is a cooperative effort among you, your doctor and the hospital staff. In addition to your rights, it is expected that you will assume the following responsibilities to the best of your ability. You are responsible for:

Following hospital rules and regulations
The patients and families are responsible for following the hospital's rules and regulations concerning patient care and conduct as explained to you, or as described in printed material. You have the right to receive a written statement of your rights.

Providing information
The patients and families are responsible for providing, to the best of their knowledge, accurate and complete information about your present complaints, past illnesses, hospitalizations, medications and other matters relating to the patient's health. They are responsible for reporting unexpected changes in the patient's condition to the responsible practitioner. You and your family are responsible for reporting perceived risks in your care and unexpected changes in your conditions. Patients and families also have the right to education about their role in helping to facilitate the safe delivery of care.

Asking questions
The patient and family are responsible for asking questions when they do not understand what they have been told about the patient's care or what they are expected to do.

Following instructions
The patient and family are responsible for following the treatment plan developed with the practitioner. They should express any concerns they have about their ability to follow the proposed course of treatment; the hospital in turn, makes every effort to adapt the treatment plan to the patient's specific needs and limitations. Where such changes are not recommended, the patient and family should understand the consequences of not following the recommended course of treatment, or of using other treatments.

Accepting the consequences of not following instructions
If the patient or family refuses treatment or fails to follow the doctor's instructions, they are responsible for the outcomes.

Paying your hospital bill
Patients and/or families are expected to pay the hospital bill (co-pays, deductibles, non-covered services and non-authorized services, etc.) or tell the hospital if you cannot pay the bill, so that other arrangements can be made. You are responsible for being familiar with the nature and extent of your insurance coverage including referral and authorization requirements.

Acting with consideration and respect
Patients and families are expected to be considerate of other patients and hospital personnel by not making unnecessary noise, smoking or causing distractions. Patients and families are responsible for respecting the property of other persons and that of the hospital.

St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, Saint Joseph Mercy Livingston Hospital and Saint Joseph Mercy Saline Hospital provide services to all persons without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, age, handicap, marital status, sexual orientation or source of payment. There is no distinction in eligibility for or in the manner of providing services. All persons and organizations having occasion either to refer persons for services or to recommend our services are advised to do so without regard to the person's race, religion, color, national origin, gender, age, handicap, marital status, sexual orientation or source of payment.

We are pleased to comply with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, relating to nondiscrimination against the handicapped. We also provide services for the hearing impaired. A Patient Relations Manager can be reached at the numbers outlined in the telephone directory.