Patient Rights & Policies

HIPAA

Your Rights

It is the policy of Fisher-Titus Medical Center to admit and to treat all people without regard of race, color, national origin, religious creed, sex, age, sexual orientation, source of payment, and/or handicap. The same requirements for admission apply to all. There is no distinction in eligibility or manner for providing any patient service.

Standards for Privacy of Protected Health Information

According to the federal law named the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), you have rights concerning the use of individually identifiable health information. Only individuals with a legitimate need to know may access, use or disclose patient information. Protected health information may be released to other covered health care providers without patient authorization if used for treatment, payment, health care operations, or for public good purposes as permitted by state and federal laws. Disclosures of protected health information for uses and disclosures outside treatment, payment and health care operations require patient authorization.

For a listing of other HIPAA privacy rights, please refer to the Notice of Privacy Policies that was given to you at registration time.

Statement of Patient Rights

The patient, or their representative is notified of the Patient’s Rights in advance of furnishing or discontinuing patient care whenever possible.

• The right to impartial access to treatment regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, ethnicity, age, handicap, or sources of payment;
• The right to exercise his/her rights while receiving care or treatment in the hospital without coercion, discrimination or retaliation;
• The right to have a surrogate (parent, legal guardian, person with medical power of attorney) exercise the patient’s rights when the patient is incapable of doing so, without coercion, discrimination or retaliation;
• The right to participate in the development and implementation of his or her plan of care;
• The right to make informed decisions regarding his/her care, be informed of his/her health status, be involved in care planning and treatment; and be able to request or refuse treatment. This right must not be construed as a mechanism to demand the provision of treatment or services deemed medically unnecessary to inappropriate;
• The right to formulate advance directives and to have hospital staff and practitioners who provide care in the hospital comply with these directives;
• The right to have a family member or representative of his or her choice and his or her own physician notified promptly of his or her admission to the hospital;
• The right to personal privacy;
• The right to receive care in a safe setting;
• The right to be free from all forms of harassment or abuse or neglect;
• The right to confidentiality of his or her clinical records;
• The right to access information contained in his or her clinical records within a reasonable time frame. The hospital must not frustrate the legitimate efforts of individuals to gain access to their own medical records and must actively seek to meet these requests as quickly as record keeping system permits;
• The right to be free from restraints of any form that are not medically necessary or are used as a means of coercion, discipline, convenience, or retaliation by staff;
• Inform each patient (or support person, where appropriate) of his or her visitation rights, including any clinical restriction or limitation on such rights, when he or she is informed of his or her other rights under this section, in advance of furnishing patient care whenever possible;
• Inform each patient (or support person, where appropriate) of the right, subject to his or her consent, to receive the visitors whom he or she designates, including, but not limited to, a spouse, a domestic partner (including a same-sex domestic partner), another family member, or a friend, and his or her right to withdraw or deny such consent at any time;
• Not restrict, limit, or otherwise deny visitation privileges on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability;
• Ensure that all visitors enjoy full and equal visitation privileges consistent with patient preferences;
• The right to be fully informed of and to consent or refuse to participate in any unusual, experimental or research project without compromising his/her services;
• The right to know the professional status of any person providing his/her care/services;
• The right to know the reasons for any proposed change in the Professional Staff responsible for his/her care;
• The right to request transfer to another physician and/or facility. The right to know the reasons for a transfer per his or her physician’s request whether it be within or outside the hospital;
• The right to know the relationship(s) of the hospital to other persons or organizations participating in the provisions of his/her care;
• The right to access the cost, itemized when possible, of services rendered within a reasonable period of time;
• The right to be informed of the source of the hospital’s reimbursement for his/her services, and of any limitations which may be placed upon his/her care;
• The right to be informed to have pain treated as effectively as possible;
• The patient’s family has the right of informed consent of donation of organs and tissues.
• The right to file a complaint or grievance at any time to the medical center or outside agency without retaliation. To file with the Medical Center, call 419-668-8101 ext. 6906. To file with an outside agency, contact the Ohio Department of Health at 1-800-342-0553 hccomplaints@odh.ohio.gov or Accreditation Commission for Healthcare at 855-937-2242 or complete online form at www.achc.org.