Patients have a fundamental right to medical care that safeguards their personal dignity and respects their cultural, psychosocial and spiritual values. Madison Chiropractic Clinic (MCC), strives to provide understanding and respect of these values in meeting patients’ needs so long as these values are within the clinic’s capacity, its stated mission and philosophy and relevant laws and regulations.
Patient Rights
Patients (and as applicable – parents, guardians, foster parents, or other legal representatives) have the right to:
- Have all patient’s rights apply to the person who may have legal responsibility to make decisions regarding medical care on behalf of the patient;
- Be informed of your rights in a manner which is easily understood;
- Receive considerate and respectful care provided in a safe environment, free from all forms of abuse and harassment
- Receive from your physician(s) complete, current information concerning diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis in terms the patient can be reasonably expected to understand and participate in the development of your plan of care. This includes information about pain and relief measures or managing pain effectively;
- Have knowledge of the name of the physician who has primary responsibility for coordinating your care and the names and professional relationships of other physicians and health care providers who will see him/her;
- Receive as much information about proposed treatment or procedure as he/she may need in order to give informed consent or refuse the course of treatment. Except in emergencies, this information shall include a description of the procedure or treatment, the medically significant risks involved in the treatment, alternate course of treatment or non-treatment and the risks involved in each, and to know the name of the person who will carry out the procedure;
- Refuse treatment to the extent permitted by law. The patient has the right to be informed of the medical consequences of his actions;
- Access your medical record within a reasonable time frame;
- Request use and disclosures of personal health information be restricted;
- Request an amendment to personal health information;
- Receive an accounting of disclosures of personal health information;
- Expect privacy concerning your own medical care program. The patient has the right to confidential and discreet conduction of case discussion, consultation and treatment;
- Expect impartial access to treatment or accommodations that are available or medically indicated regardless of race, creed, gender, nationality or source of payment for care;
- Have your rights protected during research, investigation and clinical trials involving human subjects. The patient has the right to refuse to participate without affecting your care;
- Expect confidentiality in all communications and records pertaining to your care;
- Receive detailed information regarding MCC’s internal grievance process;
- Examine and receive an explanation of his bill regardless of source of payment;
Additional Pediatric Rights
Patients (and as applicable – parents, guardians, foster parents, or other legal representatives) have the right to:
- Have their developmental, cognitive, emotional and social needs met while they are in the clinic in an environment that is supportive of infants, and adolescents;
- Play, educational and social activities essential to all children and adolescents,
- Information about what to expect prior to, during and following procedure/experience,
- Participation of children/families in decisions affecting their own medical treatment
- Have parents recognized as partners in decision- making with medical professionals and in the care of their child as permitted by law.
Family Responsibilities
Parents/family* shall have the responsibility for:
- Continuing their parenting role to the extent of their ability;
- Being available to participate in decision-making and providing staff with knowledge of parents/family whereabouts.
*The family consists of those individuals responsible for physical and emotional care of the child on a continuous basis regardless of whether they are related.
Patient Responsibilities
Patients and families have the responsibility to:
- Acquaint themselves with MCC’s “Nutritional Approach to Health Recovery”
- Follow MCC’s rules and regulations affecting their care (including the No Smoking Policy);
- Be honest about matters that relate to them as a patient and be responsible for providing accurate and complete information about present complaints, past illnesses, clinicizations, medications, and other matters relating to the patient’s health
- Be responsible for following the treatment plan established by their physician, including the instructions of nurses and other health professionals as they carry out the physician’s orders;
- Report changes in their condition to those responsible for their care and welfare;
- Accept responsibility for their actions should they refuse treatment or not follow the physician’s orders;
- Accept the outcome if they refuse treatment or fail to follow their practitioner’s instructions;
- Ask questions when they do not understand what they are expected to do;
- Honor the confidentiality and privacy of other patients;
- Be considerate and respectful of the rights of other patients and staff;
- Be responsible for their personal property and respectful of the property of others in the clinic.
- Provide clinic staff with a current copy of their Living Will and/or Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care;
- Know the staff who care for them;
- Assure that financial obligations for health care are fulfilled as promptly as possible;
- Notify the Patient Representative if they feel their rights are being violated;
- Be responsible for keeping appointments and for notifying the clinic or physician if unable to do so.