Patients, Visitors and Guests - Patient Rights and Responsibilities

As a patient at Riverside, you have certain rights. You also have obligations to yourself, your doctor and the hospital.

Rights - All patients have the right:

To know by name the physicians and nurses responsible for coordinating and providing your care.
To hear from your primary physician, in language that you can understand, your diagnosis, the treatment prescribed for you and the prognosis of your illness. When your physician determines that it is not medically advisable to give such information to you, the information should be available to an appropriate person on your behalf.
To know the reason why you are given various tests or treatments and who the persons are who give them to you.
To considerate care that respects your personal values and cultural, religious and ethical beliefs.
To know the general nature and inherent risk of any procedure or treatment that is prescribed for you.
To change your mind about any procedure for which you have given your consent, provided that you let your physician know of your decision before you have been medicated.
To refuse to sign a consent form if you do not feel that everything has been satisfactorily explained to you.
To cross out any part of the consent form that you do not want applied to your care.
To refuse treatment to the extent permitted by law and to be informed of the medical consequences of this action.
To request that a person of the same sex be present during an examination by someone of the opposite sex.
To limit those persons who visit you from outside the facility and who are not involved in your general care and welfare. To ask family and friends to conduct themselves as responsible visitors.
To expect that your personal privacy and confidentiality will be respected to the fullest extent consistent with the care prescribed for you within the limits of the law.
To request, either directly or through your own physician, a consultation from another or additional physicians, if you so desire.
To change physicians.
To change hospitals.
To examine your bill and receive an explanation of it.
To refuse to participate in medical training programs or research projects.
To formulate advance directives and to appoint a surrogate to make healthcare decisions on your behalf to the extent permitted by law.
To participate in the consideration of ethical issues that arise in your care.
To impartial access to medical resources without regard to race, color, creed, national origin or the source of payment for your care.
To appropriate assessment and management of pain.
To be free from seclusion and restraint, of any form, that are not medically necessary.

Concerns/complaints can be reported to the Center for Quality Health Care Services and Consumer Protection, Virginia Department of Health, 3600 Centre Suite 216, 3600 West Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23230-4920. Toll Free Hotline 1-800-955-1819.

Responsibilities - All patients have the responsibility:

To provide accurate and complete information, to the best of your knowledge, about matters relating to your health. All patients and families are responsible for reporting perceived risks in their care and unexpected changes in the patient’s condition.
To notify your physician or the nurse manager when you do not understand and need further explanation concerning your diagnosis, treatment and prognosis.
To let your physician or nurse know if you are receiving too many visitors from outside the facility.
To respect the privacy of other patients.
To abide by the smoking policy of the facility in which you are a patient.
To cooperate and follow the care prescribed for you.
To let us know if you are dissatisfied with any aspect of your care or if you feel that any of your rights have been violated. You may do this through your physician, nurse manager or by calling the telephone number designated for this purpose at the facility in which you are a patient.
To meet your financial obligations to the hospital, realizing that your insurance is a contract between you and the insurance carrier. As a non-profit institution, Riverside depends upon income from patient accounts to maintain its financial stability and meet its obligations. Representatives from our Business Office are available to answer questions about your financial responsibility.
To let us know if you are in pain.