Patient Rights and Responsibilities

As a patient of Children's Hospital, I and my parents/family/guardian/visitors have these rights and responsibilities:
 

As a patient, parent or guardian at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, you can expect to:

• Be partners with the hospital staff in your care or the care of your child.

• Be called by your name and be given the names of the doctors, nurses, and others who provide care.

• Receive care from hospital staff who respect your personal values, beliefs and customs regardless of your race, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, cultural background, income level (socioeconomic status), physical or mental disability, education or illness.

• Have hospital staff listen to what you say, value your opinions and choices, and answer your questions. Know that you can take part in developing your plan of care and that you can express your feelings and receive caring responses.

• Receive prompt, thoughtful care that keeps your daily routine as normal as possible and respects your need to rest and to learn.

• Have a family member of your choosing and physician notified of your admission to the hospital.

• Have family and friends around to comfort and help take care of you when they are able, and have another person who can make decisions about care and treatment when you are not able to.

• Be given pain relief and other forms of comfort care when needed, and not be restrained unless it must be done for your safety or the safety of others.

• Receive care and treatment in a safe and clean setting, and be protected from harassment and abuse of any kind.

• Be given as much information as you need to help you decide whether to consent to treatment or refuse it.

• Have access to an interpreter if needed.

• Have privacy during exams and treatment and have the information about your illness kept private.

• Have access to your medical record unless restricted by law.  No one else will be given your medical information without your permission unless allowed by law.

• Be taught what you need to know and do when you go home.  Have assistance in securing home care services for your post hospital care when they are needed.

• Make a suggestion or complaint to the unit or clinic manager or the Family Relations office and have your complaints heard and resolved. You may also make a report to the Ohio Department of Health at 1-800-342-0553 or you may contact the  Joint Commission at 1-800 994-6610.

• Have the right to decide on and to document an advance directive as allowed by law and have hospital staff and doctors comply with your wishes.

• Examine your medical bills and have the charges explained to you.

• Have the right to consent to or refuse to take part in any research program.

As a patient, parent or guardian at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, it is your responsibility to:

• Wear Nationwide Children’s Hospital ID badge at all times.

• Give complete information about your health.

• Follow your treatment plan and tell your health care team if you have pain or changes in condition.

• Tell those who care for you when you do not understand your care or what is expected of you.

• Know that if you refuse treatment, you are responsible for the outcome.

• Follow the hospital’s rules out of respect for other families and hospital staff. This includes respect for the property of others, controlling noise, and following the no-smoking policy.

Patient Liaison:

Nationwide Children's values service to our patients, families and visitors. The hospital offers a Patient Liaison, Thom Juarros, who can be reached at (614) 722-6593 or via e-mail at Thom.Juarros@NationwideChildrens.org.

Administrator On-Call:

In addition, there is a hospital Administrator On-Call at all times to attend to issues should the liaison be unavailable or the issue warrants their attention. The Administrator On-Call can be reached via the hospital operator at (614) 722-2000.

Concerns About Patient Care:

In the event that any of our customers have concerns about patient care and/or safety in the organization, Nationwide Children's encourages them to contact the Patient Liaison or Administrator On-Call to request assistance. If the concerns in question can not be resolved at these levels, the individual is encouraged to contact The Joint Commission. Customers may contact The Joint Commission at the following Web site: http://www.jointcommission.org/report_a_complaint.aspx