Patient Rights & Responsibilities

Patent Rights

The entire Student Health Services staff is dedicated to providing health care services in a manner that is always considerate of the dignity and rights of our patients. It is our duty to serve you with constant attention to the following:

• Patients are treated with respect, consideration and dignity.
• Patients are provided appropriate privacy.
• Patient disclosures and records are treated confidentially; and, when required by law, patients are given the opportunity to approve or refuse their release.
• Patients are provided, to the degree known, complete information concerning their diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, involved risks in treatment, and alternatives, in order to give informed consent or refuse a course of treatment. When it is medically inadvisable to give such information to a patient, the information is provided to a person designated by the patient or legally authorized person.
• Patients may refuse a recommended treatment to the extent permitted by law. If asked to participate in a research study, patients have the right to refuse to participate. Refusal to participate will not affect a patient’s medical care.
• Patients are invited to participate in decisions involving their health care, except when such participation is contraindicated for medical reasons.
• Patients have the right to change primary physician/nurse practitioners, as they are available.
• Patient complaints and suggestions are solicited.
• There are three methods by which students can inform the Student Health Services of concerns about services rendered:
  • Discuss the problem with the physician, nurse practitioner or nurse.
  • Place written comments in the waiting room “comment boxes.”
  • Discuss the problem with the Director of the Student Health Services. Complaints, comments and suggestions will be treated seriously and with respect.

Patient Rights to Privacy and Chaperones/Assistants

• Patients have the right to be interviewed and examined in surroundings designed to assure reasonable visual and auditory privacy. If issues must be discussed which the patient may feel are private and personal (i.e. sexual history, Sexual Transmitted Diseases, risk of pregnancy, lifestyle issues, etc.), every effort is made to have such discussions in a private examination room.
• Patients have the right to have an assistant or chaperone during certain parts of a physical examination, treatment or procedure performed by a health professional of the opposite gender and the right not to remain disrobed any longer than is required to accomplish the medical purpose for which the patient was asked to disrobe.
• During all examinations of female patients involving genitalia, rectal or breast examinations by a male provider, a female assistant or chaperone will be present. Although not required, there may also be circumstances when a female provider should have an assistant with her during examination of a male patient. The individual SHS medical provider assumes the responsibility for informing the patient of SHS privacy policies whenever circumstances require patient disrobing, especially for breast, genitourinary and rectal examinations and procedures.
• At any time, patients or the SHS health care provider may request an assistant or chaperone.

Patient Responsibilities

In order to enable the Student Health Services to provide high quality health care services in an atmosphere of mutual respect, the Student Health Services staff reasonably expects its patients to:

• Provide full information about your illness or problem to allow proper evaluation and treatment.
• Ask sufficient questions to ensure appropriate comprehension of your illness or problem, as well as the health professional’s recommendation for continuing care. If you find the care or course of treatment unacceptable for any reason, it should be discussed with the staff of Student Health Services.
• Show courtesy and respect to health personnel and other patients

• Maintain exclusive use of personal identification. Use by others may lead to entries in the wrong medical chart or errors in treatment.
• Call Student Health Services as soon as possible when it becomes necessary to cancel or reschedule an appointment. The time may then be given to someone else.
  
• Refrain from giving medication prescribed for you to others.

Patient Rights 11-6-06 nr/ jl