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Patient Bill Of Rights & Responsibilities
At Northwestern Memorial Hospital, we seek to provide the best patient experience for every patient and family. We want to partner with you so that you receive the clinical care, compassion and services you need.
You Have The Right To Considerate, Respectful, Quality Care
You can expect:
- Treatment and service evaluation and referral as needed. If we cannot meet these needs, we will arrange a transfer. You may be transferred to another facility once the following has occured:
- You have received complete information about why the transfer is needed.
- We have discussed available options with you in lieu of a transfer.
- The receiving facility has agreed to the transfer.
- Personal dignity and regard for your psychosocial, spiritual and cultural beliefs.
- Northwestern Memorial is a community of caregivers who welcome, respect and serve with dignity all people without regard to race, color, gender, national origin, religion, disability, age or sexual orientation.
- To be able to exercise cultural and spiritual beliefs and practices that do not interfere with the well being of others or your treatment plan.
- Appropriate continuity of care and referrals. You have the right to be informed of needed follow-up care after discharge.
- Foreign language or sign language interpretation so that you can access the care and information needed to participate in your care.
- Information about any relationship of the hospital and staff to other healthcare and educational institutions, as it is related to your care.
You Have The Right To Obtain Information About Your Treatment And Health Care Team
You can expect your health care team to explain:
- Your diagnoses, treatment and prognoses in terms you can understand
- Your role in your care
- Treatment options
- Expected course of the treatment and/or recovery
- Benefits and risks of treatments
- The names of doctors responsible for your care
- Any proposed clinical trials affecting your care or treatment. You have the right to refuse to participate in such trials. If you do refuse, this will not affect your access to continued care.
You Have The Right To Make Decisions About Your Care
You or your legally designated representative should expect:
- Information needed to give informed consent. This includes proposed procedures / treatment options, risks and benefits of each, in language you can understand.
- Information about advance directives and help to prepare a living will or power of healthcare attorney (as requested). You may select a healthcare agent if you are unable to make decisions about your treatment.
- To be encouraged to make health care decisions as permitted by law. This includes use or withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment.
- To always have the right to refuse treatment and care, and to be informed by the health care team of any anticipated medical outcome of refusal.
- That upon request by you your family, the hospital's Ethics Committee will help you and your care team explore options and issues that will assist in making health care decisions.
You Have The Right To Be Comfortable and Safe
You can expect:
- Appropriate pain assessment and management to relieve your physical and psychosocial symptoms while maintaining your level of function.
- A safe health care setting, free from verbal or physical abuse or harassment.
- Restraints or seclusion will be used only when needed for the safety and medical well-being of you and others.
- Comfort and dignity if you are terminally ill. Symptoms will be treated. Pain will be managed appropriately and aggressively. You and your family will receive support to address psychosocial and spiritual concerns related to dying and grief.
You Have The Right To Have Privacy And Confidentiality
You can expect:
- Case discussions, consultations, examinations and treatments are confidential and are conducted discreetly. Those not directly involved in your care must have your permission to be present. You will be interviewed, examined and cared for in a setting providing as much privacy as possible.
- You may refuse visitors. You also may refuse contact with hospital staff not involved with your care, with the exception of security officers.
- You may request the presence of members of your own gender during exams or procedures performed by health professionals.
You also have the right to:
- Examine and receive an explanation of your bill regardless of source of payment.
- Know what hospital rules apply to your conduct as a patient.
- Maintain contact with friends and family outside the hospital (visitors, calls, letters).
- Examine and copy (at your own expense) your medical records after discharge.
- Receive a paper copy of this Patient Bill of Rights and Responsibilities.
Patient responsibilities:
To help us provide you with high quality care, you are responsible for:
- Providing, to the best of your knowledge, accurate and complete information about your health, including:
- Nature of your illnesses
- Past illnesses and hospitalizations
- Specific problems, symptoms, pain or concerns you have during your hospital stay
- Medication history, reactions and concerns
- Changes in your medical condition as they occur
- Asking questions if you do not understand your treatment plan and your role in that plan.
- Making informed decisions about your care.
- Participating in the treatment plan agreed upon with the healthcare team. However, you always have the right to consciously refuse treatment.
- Following hospital rules as they affect patient care, such as:
- Consideration for the rights and respect for the property of other patients and staff
- Assistance in our efforts to limit noise
- Assistance in our efforts to limit the number of visitors for safety and noise control
- Compliance with our Smoke Free Environment Policy
- Providing complete, accurate and timely information about the sources of payment for the care provided by the hospital. Emergency services will not be delayed while we are waiting for such information.
- Fulfilling your financial obligations for your health care as promptly as possible.
The Hospital Report Card Act
The Hospital Report Card Act, effective January 1, 2004, provides Illinois consumers with access to information about the quality of healthcare services. This includes information pertaining to staffing levels on nursing units as well as nursing staff orientation and training.
Information to the Public (PDF)
Contact
Contact the Patient Representative Department with questions or comments pertaining to the Northwestern Memorial Patient Bill of Rights and Responsibilities at (312) 926-3112.
In keeping with our Patients First philosophy, and in compliance with the law, Northwestern Memorial Hospital (NMH) provides the opportunity for all patients to express their concerns about the quality of care, language-assistance services, or premature discharge through a grievance mechanism. The hospital has established a process for the prompt investigation and resolution of patient grievances. The patient or their representative may contact the Patient Representative Department in person or by calling (312) 926-3112 to file a grievance. The hospital also has the obligation to disclose the name of the State agency to which the patient may take their grievance. In Illinois the specific State agency is:
Illinois Department of Public Health
525 West Jefferson Street
Springfield, Illinois 62761
Phone: (217) 782-6553
Fax: (217) 523-2648
TTY: (800) 547-0466
In addition, patients may also contact:
Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations Office of Quality Monitoring
One Renaissance Boulevard
Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181
Phone: (800) 994-6610
Fax: (630) 792-5636
