Patients’ Rights
 Your Rights as a Patient
Southern Ocean County Hospital has an active
Bioethics Committee. Resources of this Committee are available
to SOCH patients and their families to help with difficult decisions
or ethical concerns related to patient care. As a patient at Southern
Ocean County Hospital, you have the following rights:
Personal Needs
To be treated with courtesy,
consideration, and
respect for your dignity and individuality. To have
access to storage space in your room for private use.
The hospital must also have a system to safeguard
your personal property.
Medical Care
To receive the care and health
services that the
hospital is required by law to provide. 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.
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, any risks
involved, time required for recovery, and any reasonable
medical alternatives.
To refuse medication and treatment after possible
consequences of this decision have been explained
clearly to you, unless the situation is life-threatening
or the procedure is required by law.
To be included in experimental
research only if you
give informed written consent. You have the right to
refuse to participate.
To be included in care decisions, which include
pain
assessment and management.
Legal Rights
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.
To exercise your constitutional, civil
and legal rights.
Communication and Information
To be informed
of the names and functions of all healthcare
professionals providing you with personal care.
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 healthcare personnel.
To be informed of the
names and functions of any
outside healthcare and educational institutions
involved in your treatment. You may refuse to allow
their participation.
To receive, upon request, the hospital's written
policies
and procedures regarding life-saving methods and
the use of withdrawal of life support mechanisms.
To be advised
in writing of the hospital's rules
regarding the conduct of patients and visitors.
To receive a summary
of these rights that includes
the name and phone number of the hospital staff
member to whom you can ask questions or complain
about any possible violation of your rights.
Privacy and Confidentiality
To have physical
privacy during medical treatment
and personal hygiene functions, unless you need
assistance.
To confidential treatment of information about
you.
Information in your records will not be released to
anyone outside the hospital without your approval,
unless it is required by law.
Freedom from Abuse and Restraints
To freedom
from mental and physical abuse.
To freedom from restraints, unless
they are authorized
by a physician for a limited period of time to
protect the safety of you or others.
Transfers
To be transferred to another facility
only when you
or your family has made the request, or in instances
where the transferring hospital is unable to provide
you with the care you need.
To receive an advance explanation from
a physician
of the reasons for your transfer and possible
alternatives.
Discharge Planning
To receive information and
assistance from your
attending physician and other healthcare providers if
you need to arrange for continuing healthcare after
your discharge from the hospital.
To receive sufficient time before
discharge to arrange
for continuing healthcare needs.
To be informed by the hospital
about any appeal
process to which you are entitled by law if you disagree
with the hospital's discharge plans.
Medical Records
To have prompt access to the
information in your
medical record. If your physician feels that this access
is detrimental to your health, your next of kin or
guardian has a right to see your record; 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
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.
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 healthcare benefits to which you may be entitled.
Patient Responsibilities
The patient and/or
the family representative must
provide the healthcare professionals with complete
and accurate information about present complaints,
past illnesses, hospitalizations, medications, advance
directives and other matters relating to his/her health
or care. The patient is responsible for reporting
whether he/she understands the proposed course of
action and what is expected of him/her.
The patient must be responsible for following the
treatment plan prescribed by their doctor. If the
patient refuses treatment, they must notify their
doctor, primary nurse or healthcare representative.
The patient and/or the family representative must
share information with hospital staff that affects
treatment plan and care.
The patient and/or the family representative should
treat hospital staff and fellow patients with respect
and dignity.
Private Nursing Agencies
Amendment to the Patient
Rights Subchapter of the
hospital licensing manual at N.J.A.C. 8:43G-4.1 (a)
to include the right to choose private duty nursing,
as follows:
[Every New Jersey hospital patient shall have the
right] "To contract directly with a New Jersey licensed
registered professional nurse of the patient's choosing
for private professional nursing care during his
hospitalization."
For a complete listing of private nursing agencies,
please contact the Social Services Department at
609-978-8900, ext. 2130.
Questions and Complaints
Patients should present
questions, complaints and
concerns about healthcare issues at the hospital to
their primary nurse, physician and/or nursing supervisor.
To present questions, complaints or concerns
to the Customer Service Hotline, and to receive a
response in a reasonable period of time, call
609-978-8900, ext. 2396. The hospital's Customer
Service Hotline is staffed weekdays from 8 a.m. to
5 p.m. The hospital provides 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 New
Jersey Department of Health Complaint Hotline at
1-800-792-9770 or write to NJ Health Facility
Complaint Program, CN 367, Trenton, NJ 08625.
The list of Patient Rights is an abbreviated summary
of the current New Jersey law and regulations governing
the rights of hospital patients. For more complete
information, consult NJ Department of Health regulations
at N.J.A.C. 8:43, or Public Law 1989-Chapter
170, available through the Administrator's office.
If you have concerns regarding patient care and safety
that remain unresolved by hospital management, you
may call the Joint Commission on Accreditation of
Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) at 1-800-994-6610
or email complaint@jcaho.org. You can report anonymously,
or leave contact information that will be kept
confidential and only used as a method for follow up
by the JCAHO. |
