Patient’s Rights & Responsibilities

Florida Hospital has a deep respect for the basic human rights and personal dignity of each patient.  As a patient you have the right and responsibility to be informed and participate in decisions involving your care and treatment.  When you are either incapacitated, incompetent or a minor, your rights can be exercised by a legally authorized person.

Florida law requires that your physician or healthcare facility recognize your rights while you are receiving medical care and that you respect the physician or healthcare facility’s right to expect a certain behavior on the part of the patient.  You may request a copy of the full text of this law from your physician or healthcare facility.  A summary of your rights and responsibilities follows:

Patient’s Rights

As a patient, you have the right to:

• Impartial access for medical treatment or accommodations, regardless of race, national origin, religion, physical handicap or source of payment.
• Treatment for any emergency medical condition that will deteriorate from failure to provide treatment.
• Know who is providing medical services and who is responsible for your care.
• Request notification of a family member or representative and your own physician promptly upon admission to the hospital.
• Be given by your healthcare provider, information concerning diagnosis, health status, planned course of treatment, alternatives, risks and prognosis.
• Be informed about the outcomes of care, treatment, and services that have been provided, including unanticipated outcomes.
• Assessment and management of your pain.
• Request and refuse any care, treatment, or services, except as otherwise provided by law.
• To formulate Advance Directives and have the physician(s) and staff provide care that is consistent with these directives.
• A prompt and reasonable response to questions and requests.
• Be free from both physical restraints and drugs used as a restraint, except when necessary and less restrictive interventions have been determined to be ineffective.
• Be treated with courtesy and respect, with appreciation of your individual dignity in an environment that contributes to a positive self-image.
• Be free from mental, physical, sexual, and verbal abuse, neglect and exploitation.   
• The protection of your need for privacy and to receive care in a safe setting.
• Confidentiality of your health information.
• Access to information contained within your medical record within a reasonable timeframe.
• Know what rules and regulations apply to your conduct.
• Know what patient support services are available, including whether an interpreter is available if you do not speak English.
• Access protective and advocacy services. 
• Know if medical treatment is for purposes of experimental research and to give your consent or refusal to participate in such experimental research.
• Be given, upon request, full information and necessary counseling on availability of known financial resources for your care.
• If you are eligible for Medicare, to know upon request and in advance of treatment, whether the healthcare provider or healthcare facility accepts the Medicare assignment rate.
• Receive, upon request, prior to treatment, a reasonable estimate of charges for medical care.
• Receive a copy of a reasonably clear and understandable itemized bill, and upon request, have charges explained.
• Have the hospital address you or your family’s concerns or complaints about your care or services provided.
• Express grievances regarding any violation of your rights, as stated in Florida law, through the grievance procedure of the healthcare provider or healthcare facility that served you and to the appropriate state licensing agency.

Patient Responsibilities

As a patient you are responsible to:

• Provide to your healthcare provider, to the best of your knowledge, accurate and complete information about present complaints, past illnesses, prior hospitalizations, medications, and other manners related to your health.
• Report unexpected changes in your condition to your healthcare provider.
• Report to your physician whether you comprehend a contemplated course of action and what is expected of you.
• Follow the treatment plan recommended by your healthcare provider.
• Keep appointments and, when you are unable to do so for any reason, notify the healthcare provider or healthcare facility.
• Take responsibility for your actions if you refuse treatment or do not follow the healthcare provider’s instructions.
• Assure that the financial obligations of your healthcare are fulfilled as promptly as possible.
• Follow the healthcare facilities’ rules and regulations affecting patient care and conduct.

Advance Directives Policy Summary
Living Will and Designation of Healthcare Surrogate

As a patient, you have the right to formulate Advance Directives and to make decisions concerning your medical care, including the right to accept or refuse medical/surgical treatment.  Florida Hospital is committed to helping facilitate your expressed wishes concerning your healthcare.  Florida Hospital shall honor your Advance Directive within the limits of the law and Florida Hospital’s mission, philosophy, and capability.  You will receive the same medical treatment from Florida Hospital whether or not you have signed an Advance Directive.

Advance Directives are legal documents that you may complete to help ensure that your wishes are carried out when you are unable to speak for yourself. These documents indicate your choices regarding healthcare decisions, including, but not limited to, life-prolonging procedures and the designation of someone to make healthcare decisions in the event you would be unable to make decisions yourself. Advance Directives are commonly known as the Living Will and the Designation of a Healthcare Surrogate.

The Living Will is an Advance Directive document that allows you to indicate your choices regarding the use of life-prolonging procedures.  According to Florida law, when two physicians certify that you have either a terminal condition, end-stage condition or are in a persistent vegetative state, your Living Will can be honored.  You may also designate a person to make healthcare decisions for you if you become mentally or physically unable to do so yourself.  This may be done by completing a Designation of Heath Care Surrogate document.  It is very important that your wishes expressed in these documents be discussed with your physician and family/significant other.

We would like to request that each time you come to the hospital to be admitted as an inpatient, that you bring a copy of your most recently completed Advance Directive(s).   Upon your admittance as an adult inpatient, you will be asked if you have completed an Advance Directive. Your response will be documented in your medical record. If you have already signed an Advance Directive document and didn’t bring it to the hospital, you will be asked to complete another.

You may request Advance Directive forms from your nurse, a case management coordinator or a chaplain.  

You can also download the Advance Directive forms and receive further information from Florida Hospital’s website.   links to: advance directives document location.

Una versión española de esta forma se puede encontrar aquí.