Patient Rights

Patient Responsibilities

In addition to your patient rights, you and/or a legally responsible guardian or conservator have the following responsibilities:

To provide complete and accurate information regarding medical history
To consider and use information provided by physicians and other health care providers in order to make health care decisions in the patient's best interest
To provide written consent to, or refusal of, treatment and/or procedures as requested by physicians and/or hospital personnel
To be considerate of others in the hospital, including patients, visitors and hospital employees
To meet financial responsibilities, including provision of appropriate insurance and billing information

Advance Directives

All patients receive information regarding advance directives upon admission. In order to be in compliance with the Federal Patient Self-Determination Act (PSDA) passed by Congress in 1990, Washington Health now asks, at the time of registration, all patients over the age of 18 if an advance directive has been drafted. Washington Health has formal policies to ensure that your wishes about treatment will be followed.

If you present an advance directive to us when you register, this information will be maintained in your medical records. If you have not completed an advance directive and want information, we will provide it to you. You are not required to have an advance directive to receive medical care. Resources are available to answer questions you might have.

A brochure which explains your right to make health care decisions and how you can plan what should be done when you cannot speak for yourself is available in the Admitting Department.

Patient Representative

The patient representative serves as a liaison between patients, hospital staff and physicians by intervening to mediate conflict, improve communication and meet non-clinical needs. You can contact the patient representative directly by calling 510.818.7328.

Bioethics

Any patient, family member, physician, nurse or hospital employee may request a consultation with the Bioethics Committee. The purpose of the committee is to help patients and their families, as well as physicians and other health care providers, discuss and resolve questions, problems and conflicts that involve personal values in the process of receiving and providing health care. To request a consultation or for more information, please ask your nurse.

Gann Act

The Paul Gann Blood Safety Act requires that your physician provide you with information concerning blood transfusions when there is the possibility that a blood transfusion may be necessary as a result of a medical or surgical procedure.

Learn about how Washington Health protects your privacy in our Notice of Privacy Practices.

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