Patient Rights & Responsibilities

Ohio Valley Surgical Hospital (OVSH) complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability or sex. OVSH encourages respect for the personal preferencesand values of each individual.

While you are in our facility, your rights and responsibilities include the following:

PATIENT RESPONSIBILITIES – Consistent with state law, the patient (and/or legal representative, as appropriate) has the following responsibilities:

1. To provide information that facilitates care, treatment, and services.
2. To ask questions or acknowledge when the patient does not understand the treatment course or care decisions.
3. To follow instructions, policies, rules, and regulations that support quality care and a safe environment.
4. To be considerate and respectful when interacting with staff.
5. To maintain civil language and conduct.
6. To meet financial commitments to the organization.
7. To provide accurate and complete information about health-related matters.
8. To take an active role in making decisions about care, treatment, and services by doing the following:
   • Discussing condition and treatment with the practitioner.
   • Reporting any changes to condition.
   • Providing advance directive and/or expressing wishes regarding use of life support.
9. To cooperate with the organization’s staff who provide care.
10. To ask questions if plans or direction of care are not clearly understood.
11. To follow and respect the organization’s rules and regulations about patient care and conduct.
12. To be considerate of the rights of other patients and staff.
13. To follow guidelines about use of cameras.
14. To accept responsibility for actions if treatment is refused or practitioner instructions are not followed.
15. To provide the organization with complete information to process insurance claims.
16. To arrange to pay bills within an acceptable time period.
17. To be responsible for belongings and not bring unnecessary items or valuables to the organization.
18. To inform staff of all information that may affect care and safety.

PATIENT RIGHTS – Consistent with state law, the patient (and/or legal representative, as appropriate) has the following rights:

1. To be informed of visitation rights including:
   • Right to receive visitors according to the patient’s wishes and consent.
   • Right to withdraw or deny consent for visitors.
2. To be treated with dignity and respect.
3. To effective communication.
4. To have cultural and personal values, beliefs and preferences respected.
5. To personal privacy and privacy of health information.
6. To pain management.
7. To religious or other spiritual services.
8. To access, request amendments to and/or obtain information on disclosures of health information.
9. To have a family member, friend, or other individual present for emotional support during the patient’s stay.
10. To be free from discrimination based on age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture, language, physical or mental disability, socioeconomic status, sex, sexual orientation and gender identity or expression.
11. To receive information in a manner that meets the patient’s needs when he or she is impaired by vision, speech, hearing or cognitive impairments.
12. To receive information in a manner that is understandable and tailored to the patient’s age, language, and ability to understand.
13. To be involved in making decisions about care, treatment, and services.
14. To have the patient’s physician promptly notified of the patient’s hospital admission.
15. To refuse care, treatment, and services, and to receive information about this in writing.
16. To have a surrogate decision maker if the patient is unable to make decisions on his or her own. The surrogate decision maker has the right to refuse care, treatment, and services on the patient’s behalf.
17. To have family involved in decision making about care, treatment, and services.
18. To receive information about the outcomes of the patient’s care, treatment and services that are needed to participate in current and future health care decisions.
19. To be informed about anticipated outcomes of care, treatment, and services that related to sentinel events.
20. To give or withhold informed consent.
21. To give or withhold informed consent to produce or use recordings, films, or other images for purposes other than the patient’s care.
22. To receive relevant information when deciding whether to participate in research, investigation ortrials including the following: