These I believe should be the right of all patients.
My article is about my proposal for the rights of all patients. By this I mean both in and out patients. It includes physical and mental conditions. By no means is the list below meant to be exhaustive. It is merely a beginning. Perhaps you could think of this as start of a dialogue. If you have any valid suggestions feel free to add them in your comments. The two exceptions to these rights would be people too incapacitated either by a developmental disability or mental illness. In that case a reliable guardian should be appointed. By reliable I mean a person who can be trusted to make sound decisions and is able and willing to do so.
One other note. Only a small percentage of patient's in psychiatric hospitals are unable to make their own decisions affecting their care.
Admittedly opinionated, but not dogmatic. It's just my opinion and it's fully realized that everyone has the right to agree or not. Hopefully at least some readers out there will be agreeing with me.
The list here is not in order of importance, simply because they are considered equally important.
1. Be treated with dignity and respect.
2. Participate fully in all decisions about one's treatment
3. Request changes in treatment or services.
4. Refuse treatment or services if one truly believes one can not tolerate such treatment.
5. If surgery is recommend to know the risks, the benefits and if there are any alternative treatments to surgery.
6. Know the name, the reason for taking, possible side effects, adverse reactions, when to call the doctor and how to take medication.
7. Refuse to take prescription medicines if you truly feel you can not tolerate them and ask about alternatives if any.
8. Have your family involved or not.
9. No participation in experimental treatment unless permitted by you and only with full disclosure of risks and benefits.
10. No verbal, physical abuse, harsh, unfair treatment.
11. To have complaints heard, a quick response and no mistreatment as a result of such complaint. This especially applies to HMOs.
12. File a grievance if complaint not resolved to one's satisfaction.
13. Review hospital, health records and decide who can see them.
14. All rights of being of being a citizen of what ever country you are f rom should be upheld.
Well that's it. Now it's your turn to let me know what you think.
