Bill of Rights and Responsibilities

The patient has the right to:

• Exercise his/her rights without regard to sex, cultural, economic, educational or religious background.
• Effective and safe care, treatment and services without regard to their ability to pay.
  
• Appropriate assessment and management of pain, information about pain, pain relief measures, to participate in pain management decisions, request or reject the use of any or all modalities to relieve pain.
  
• Have a family member (or other representatives of your choosing) and your own physician notified promptly of your admission to the facility.
  
• Have access to pastoral and other spiritual services.
  
• Effective communication and interpretation, including access to translation services and services to address vision, speech, hearing, language and cognitive impairment.
  
• Have access to people outside the facility through visitors, interpreters, verbal and written communication.
  
• Designate visitors of his/her choosing, if the patient has decision making capacity, whether or not the visitor is related by blood or marriage, unless:
  • no visitors are allowed;
  • the facility reasonably determines that the presence of a particular visitor would endanger the health/safety of a patient, the facility staff, other visitors, or would significantly disrupt the operations of the facility;
  • the patient has indicated he/she no longer wants this person to visit;
  • the patient lacks decision-making capacity, in which case the patient’s wishes are considered in determining who may visit, including any persons living in the household.

However, the facility may establish reasonable restrictions upon visitation, including restrictions upon the hours of visitation and number of visitors.

• Have access to mail, telephone and space for private conversations as appropriate to the needs of his/her care, treatment and services.
• Have access to a bioethics committee.
• Have access to protective and advocacy services including notifying government agencies of neglect or abuse.
• Access information contained in his/her medical record within a reasonable time frame (usually within 48 hours of request).
• Information on the extent to which the facility is able, unable, or unwilling to honor advance directives is given upon admission if the patient has an advance directive.
• Be informed of services available in or through the facility and of related charges.
• Be allowed to manage their personal financial affairs. In the event the facility agrees to manage the patient’s personal funds, the delegation shall be in writing, and the conditions under which the facility shall exercise the responsibility shall be explained to the patient.
• Not required to perform services for the facility, its license or staff that are not included for therapeutic purposes in the patient’s plan of care.
• Have the right to associate and communicate privately with persons of the patient’s choice, and to send and receive the patient’s personal mail unopened unless medically contraindicated. At the patient’s request, be visited by members of the clergy at any time.
• Retain and use the patient’s personal clothing and possessions as space permits, unless to do so would infringe upon the rights of their patients, or unless medically contraindicated.
• Be assured privacy for visits. If a couple are patients in the facility, be permitted to share a room if available unless medically contraindicated.
• Have a daily visiting hours established.

The patient has the right to:

• Considerate and respectful care at all times with recognition of his/her personal dignity.
  
• Reasonable responses to any reasonable requests made for service.
• Have his/her cultural, psychosocial, spiritual and personal values, beliefs, and preferences respected.
• Be free from restraints and seclusion of any form used as a means of coercion, discipline, convenience or retaliation by staff.

The patient has the right to:

• Full consideration of privacy concerning his/her medical care program. Case discussion, consultation, examination and treatment are confidential and should be conducted discretely. The patient has the right to be advised why any individual is present during a consultation, examination or treatment.
• Confidential treatment of all communications and records pertaining to care and stay in the facility. The patient’s written permission shall be obtained before medical records can be made available to anyone not directly concerned with the patient’s care.
• Request access, amend and receive accounting of disclosures regarding his/her medical record/health information, as permitted under applicable law.
  

The patient has the right to:

• Know the name of his/her primary physician and the name and professional relationships of other physicians and people involved in his/her care at the time care is rendered.
• Information about the illness, course of treatment, outcomes of care (including unanticipated outcomes), and prospects for recovery in terms that the patient can understand.
• Information about treatments or procedures as needed in order to give informed consent or refusal. Except in emergencies, this information shall include a description of the procedures or treatments, the medically significant risks, alternate courses of treatment or non-treatment and the risks involved in each. The patient shall know the name and professional status of the person who will perform the treatments or procedures.
• Be informed if the facility/personal physician plans to perform human experimentation affecting care or treatment, and his/her right to refuse participation. Refusal to participate or discontinuation of participation will not compromise the patient’s right to access care, treatment or services.
• Full support and respect of all patient’s rights should the patient choose to participate in research, investigation and/or clinical trial. This includes the patient’s right to a full informed consent process as it relates to the research, investigation, and/or clinical trial. All information provided to subject will be contacted in the medical record or research file along with the consent form(s).
  

The patient has the right to:

• Knowledge of the facility’s rules and regulations which apply to patient conduct.

The patient has the responsibility to:

• Provide, to the best of his/her knowledge, accurate and complete information about the present complaint, past illnesses, hospitalizations, medications and other health matters.
• Report perceived risks in care and unexpected changes in his/her condition to the responsible caregiver.
• Make it known whether he/she clearly understands a course of action regarding medical care, and in what he/she is expected to cooperate.
• Follow the facility’s rules and regulations.

The patient has the right to:

• Active participation in decisions regarding medical care. To the extent permitted by law, this includes the right to refuse treatment, formulate and execute an advance directive, or leave the facility against the advice of physicians. This right also applies to a patient’s surrogate decision-maker.
• A surrogate decision maker, as allowed by law, when a patient cannot make decisions about his/her care.
• Consult with specialists at his/her own request and expense.
• Be advised of his/her rights in the event of terminal illnesses. These rights address privacy, confidentiality, and treatment for the primary and secondary symptoms of illness, pain management and psychosocial and spiritual concerns.
• Be involved in resolving dilemmas about care, treatment and services.
• Have family involved in the decision making with permission from the patient or surrogate decision maker.
• Have their surrogate decision-maker presented with the option to donate tissues or organs when appropriate.
  

The patient has the right to:

• Follow the care, treatment and service plan agreed upon with his/her primary healthcare professional. This includes: following instructions of other health care providers as they carry out the orders of the primary healthcare professional and enforce the facility’s rules and regulations.
• Keep appointments with the responsible practitioner and whenever unable to do so, to notify him or her.
• The patient is responsible for being considerate of the rights of other patients and medical personnel.
•  The patient is responsible for being respectful of his/her personal property and that of other persons in the facility.

The patient has the right to:

• Leave the facility, even against the advice of physician(s) as permitted under applicable law.

The patient has the responsibility:

• For his/her actions if he/she refuses treatment or does not follow the instructions for his/her care.

The patient has the right to:

• Examine and receive an explanation of the bill regardless of the source of payment.

The patient has the responsibility to:

• Assure that the financial obligations of his/her health care are fulfilled as promptly as possible.

The patient has the right to:

• Expect reasonable safety of their person according to the facility’s practices and environment, and to be placed in protective privacy when the facility determines it necessary for personal safety.
• Expect reasonable safety and security of their property according to the facility’s practices and environment.
• Protection from real or perceived abuse, neglect or exploitation from anyone, including staff, students, volunteers, other patients, visitors or family members.
• Receive care in a safe setting, free from mental, physical, sexual or verbal abuse and neglect, exploitation or harassment.

The patient has the right to:

• Voice complaints freely and recommend changes regarding the quality of services throughout the established process, and without being subject to coercion, discrimination, reprisal or unreasonable interruption of care, treatment and services.
• Voice complaints or concerns by:
  
  • calling 808-242-2266
  • writing to:
    Quality Management Department
    221 Mahalani St
    Wailuku, HI 96793
  • filing a complaint with the Hawaii Department of Health, Office of Health Care Assurance at 808-692-7420
  • For billing inquiries, please call 888-285-5090 or 888-418-6901