Patient rights and responsibilities

Our hospital takes patient rights very seriously. We believe all patients deserve respectful care where they are involved in and notified of treatment decisions. Learn more about the rights you are entitled to during your stay.

Patient rights

HCA Houston Healthcare respects the dignity and pride of each individual we serve. We comply with applicable Federal civil rights laws and do not discriminate on the basis of age, gender, disability, race, color, ancestry, citizenship, religion, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, medical condition, marital status, veteran status, payment source or ability, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state, or local law. Each individual shall be informed of the patient's rights and responsibilities in advance of administering or discontinuing patient care. We adopt and affirm as policy the following rights of patient/clients who receive services from our facilities:

Considerate and respectful care

To receive ethical, high-quality, safe and professional care without discrimination
To be free from all forms of abuse and harassment
To be treated with consideration, respect and recognition of their individuality, including the need for privacy in treatment. This includes the right to request the facility provide a person of one's own gender to be present during certain parts of physical examinations, treatments or procedures performed by a health professional of the opposite sex, except in emergencies, and the right not to remain undressed any longer than is required for accomplishing the medical purpose for which the patient was asked to undress

Information regarding health status and care

To be informed of his/her health status in terms that patient can reasonably be expected to understand, and to participate in the development and the implementation of his/her plan of care and treatment
The right to be informed of the names and functions of all physicians and other health care professionals who are providing direct care to the patient
The right to be informed about any continuing health care requirements after his/her discharge from the hospital. The patient shall also have the right to receive assistance from the physician and appropriate hospital staff in arranging for required follow-up care after discharge.
To be informed of risks, benefits and side effects of all medications and treatment procedures, particularly those considered innovative or experimental
To be informed of all appropriate alternative treatment procedures
To be informed of the outcomes of care, treatment and services
To appropriate assessment and management of pain
To be informed if the hospital has authorized other health care and/or education institutions to participate in the patient's treatment. The patient shall also have a right to know the identity and function of these institutions, and may refuse to allow their participation in his/her treatment

Decision making and notification

To choose a person to be his/her healthcare representative and/or decision maker. The patient may also exercise his/her right to exclude any family members from participating in his/her healthcare decisions.
To have a family member, chosen representative and/or his or her own physician notified promptly of admission to the hospital
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 or inappropriate
To be included in experimental research only when he or she gives informed, written consent to such participation. The patient may refuse to participate in experimental research, including the investigations of new drugs and medical devices
To formulate advance directives and have hospital staff and practitioners who provide care in the hospital comply with these directives
To leave the healthcare facility against one's physician's advice to the extent permitted by law

Access to services

To receive, as soon as possible, the free services of a translator and/or interpreter, telecommunications devices, and any other necessary services or devices to facilitate communication between the patient and the hospitals' health care personnel (e.g., qualified interpreters, written information in other languages, large print, accessible electronic formats)
To bring a service animal into the facility, except where service animals are specifically prohibited pursuant to facility policy (e.g., operating rooms, patient units where a patient is immunosuppressed or in isolation)
To pastoral counseling and to take part in religious and/or social activities while in the hospital, unless one's doctor thinks these activities are not medically advised
To safe, secure and sanitary accommodation and a nourishing, well balanced and varied diet
To access people outside the facility by means of verbal and written communication
To have accessibility to facility buildings and grounds. HCA Houston Healthcare recognizes the Americans with Disabilities Act, a wide-ranging piece of legislation intended to make American society more accessible to people with disabilities. The policy is available upon request
To a prompt and reasonable response to questions and requests for service
To request a discharge planning evaluation

Access to medical records

To have his/her medical records, including all computerized medical information, kept confidential and to access information within a reasonable time frame. The patient may decide who may receive copies of the records except as required by law
Upon leaving the healthcare facility, patients have the right to obtain copies of their medical records

Ethical decisions

To participate in ethical decisions that may arise in the course of care including issues of conflict resolution, withholding resuscitative services, foregoing or withdrawal of life sustaining treatment, and participation in investigational studies or clinical trials
If the healthcare facility or its team decides that the patient's refusal of treatment prevents him/her from receiving appropriate care according to ethical and professional standards, the relationship with the patient may be terminated

Protective services

To access protective and advocacy services
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
The patient who receives treatment for mental illness or developmental disability, in addition to the rights listed herein, has the rights provided by any applicable state law
To all legal and civil rights as a citizen unless otherwise prescribed by law
To have upon request an impartial review of hazardous treatments or irreversible surgical treatments prior to implementation except in emergency procedures necessary to preserve one's life
To an impartial review of alleged violations of patient rights
To expect emergency procedures to be carried out without unnecessary delay
To give consent to a procedure or treatment and to access the information necessary to provide such consent
To not be required to perform work for the facility unless the work is part of the patient's treatment and is done by choice of the patient
To file a complaint with the Department of Health or other quality improvement, accreditation or other certifying bodies if he /she has a concern about patient abuse, neglect, about misappropriation of a patient's property in the facility or other unresolved complaint, patient safety or quality concern

Payment and administration

To examine and receive an explanation of the patient's healthcare facility's bill regardless of source of payment, and may receive upon request, information relating to the availability of known financial resources
A patient who is eligible for Medicare has the right to know, upon request and in advance of treatment, whether the health care provider or health care facility accepts the Medicare assignment rate
To receive, upon request, prior to treatment, a reasonable estimate of charges for medical care
To be informed in writing about the facility policies and procedures for initiation, review and resolution of patient complaints, including the address and telephone number of where complaints may be filed

Additional patient rights

Except in emergencies, the patient may be transferred to another facility only with a full explanation of the reason for transfer, provisions for continuing care and acceptance by the receiving institution
To initiate their own contact with the media
To get the opinion of another physician, including specialists, at the request and expense of the patient
To wear appropriate personal clothing and religious or other symbolic items, as long as they do not interfere with diagnostic procedures or treatment
To request a transfer to another room if another patient or a visitor in the room is unreasonably disturbing him/her
To request pet visitation except where animals are specifically prohibited pursuant to the facility's policies (e.g., operating rooms, patient units where a patient is immunosuppressed or in isolation)

PATIENT RESPONSIBILITIES

The care a patient receives depends partially on the patient him/herself. Therefore, in addition to the above rights, a patient has certain responsibilities. These should be presented to the patient in the spirit of mutual trust and respect.

To provide accurate and complete information concerning his/her health status, medical history, hospitalizations, medications and other matters related to his/her health
To report perceived risks in his/her care and unexpected changes in his/her condition to the responsible practitioner
To report comprehension of a contemplated course of action and what is expected of the patient, and to ask questions when there is a lack of understanding
To follow the plan of care established by his/her physician, including the instructions of nurses and other health professionals as they carry out the physician's orders
To keep appointments or notifying the facility or physician when he/she is unable to do so
To be responsible for his/her actions should he/she refuse treatment or not follow his/her physician's orders
To assure that the financial obligations of his/her healthcare care are fulfilled as promptly as possible
To follow facility policies, procedures, rules and regulations
To be considerate of the rights of other patients and facility personnel
To be respectful of his/her personal property and that of other persons in the facility
To help staff to assess pain, request relief promptly, discuss relief options and expectations with caregivers, work with caregivers to develop a pain management plan, tell staff when pain is not relieved, and communicate worries regarding pain medication
To inform the facility of a violation of patient rights or any safety concerns, including perceived risk in his/her care and unexpected changes in their condition
HCA Houston Healthcare does not provide Medical Aid-In-Dying Medications to any patient and will not permit patients to self-administer Medical Aid-In-Dying Medications on HCA Houston Healthcare's premises. Physicians are prohibited from writing a prescription for Medical Aid-In-Dying Medication for an individual who intends to self-administer on HCA Houston Healthcare's premises.

VISITATION RIGHTS

HCA Houston Healthcare recognizes the importance of family, spouses, partners, friends and other visitors in the care process of patients. We adopt and affirm as policy the following visitation rights of patients/clients who receive services from our facilities:

To be informed of their visitation rights, including any clinical restriction or limitation of their visitation rights
To designate visitors, including but not limited to a spouse, a domestic partner (including same sex), family members, and friends. These visitors will not be restricted or otherwise denied visitation privileges on the basis of age, race, color, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation or disability. All visitors will enjoy full and equal visitation privileges consistent with any clinically necessary or other reasonable restriction or limitation that facilities may need to place on such rights
To receive visits from one's attorney, physician or clergyperson at any reasonable time
To speak privately with anyone he/she wishes (subject to hospital visiting regulations) unless a doctor does not think it is medically advised
To refuse visitors
Media representatives and photographers must contact the hospital spokesperson for access to the hospital

Patient Complaints and Grievances

Facility Patient Advocate

Phone: (713) 770-7167

Facility Equity Compliance Coordinator

If you need access to services or to report a concern regarding discrimination in access to services, please contact:

Phone: (713) 770-7167

HCA Ethics Line

Phone: 1 (800) 455-1996

Kepro QIO

Phone: 1 (844) 430-9504

The Joint Commission Office of Quality and Patient Safety

(800) 994-6610
8:30 am to 5:00 pm Central Time, Monday - Friday
Email: complaint@jointcommission.org
Fax: Office of Quality Monitoring (630) 792-5636
Mail: Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
One Renaissance Boulevard
Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181

Texas Department of Health and Human Services

(888) 973-0022
Email: hfc.complaints@dshs.state.tx.us
Fax: (512) 834-6653
Website: Texas Department of State Health Services
Mail: Texas Department of State Health Services
PO Box 149347
Austin, TX 78714-9347

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights

1 (800) 368-1019
Fax: (833) 709-5735
Website: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Mail: 200 Independence Avenue
SW Room 509F
HHH Building
Washington, D.C. 20201

Complaint forms are available at http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/office/file/index.html