California Code of Regulations › Title 22 - Social Security › Division 5 - Licensing and Certification of Health Facilities, Home Health Agencies, Clinics, and Referral Agencies › Chapter 1 - General Acute Care Hospitals › Article 7 - Administration › Section 70707 - Patients' Rights

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 28, July 12, 2024
(a)
				  Hospitals and medical staffs shall adopt a written policy on patients'
				  rights.
(b) A list of these
				  patients' rights shall be posted in both Spanish and English in appropriate
				  places within the hospital so that such rights may be read by patients. This
				  list shall include but not be limited to the patients' rights to:
(1) Exercise these rights without regard to
				  sex, economic status, educational background, race, color, religion, ancestry,
				  national origin, sexual orientation, disability, medical condition, marital
				  status, registered domestic partner status, or the source of payment for
				  care.
(2) Considerate and
				  respectful care.
(3) Knowledge of
				  the name of the licensed healthcare practitioner acting within the scope of his
				  or her professional licensure who has primary responsibility for coordinating
				  the care, and the names and professional relationships of physicians and
				  nonphysicians who will see the patient.
(4) Receive information about the illness,
				  the course of treatment and prospects for recovery in terms that the patient
				  can understand.
(5) Receive as much
				  information about any proposed treatment or procedure as the patient may need
				  in order to give informed consent or to refuse this course of treatment. Except
				  in emergencies, this information shall include a description of the procedure
				  or treatment, the medically significant risks involved in this treatment,
				  alternate courses of treatment or nontreatment and the risks involved in each
				  and to know the name of the person who will carry out the procedure or
				  treatment.
(6) Participate actively
				  in decisions regarding medical care. To the extent permitted by law, this
				  includes the right to refuse treatment.
(7) Full consideration of privacy concerning
				  the medical care program. Case discussion, consultation, examination and
				  treatment are confidential and should be conducted discreetly. The patient has
				  the right to be advised as to the reason for the presence of any
				  individual.
(8) Confidential
				  treatment of all communications and records pertaining to the care and the stay
				  in the hospital. Written permission shall be obtained before the medical
				  records can be made available to anyone not directly concerned with the
				  care.
(9) Reasonable responses to
				  any reasonable requests made for service.
(10) Leave the hospital even against the
				  advice of members of the medical staff.
(11) Reasonable continuity of care and to
				  know in advance the time and location of appointments as well as the identity
				  of persons providing the care.
(12)
				  Be advised if the hospital/licensed healthcare practitioner acting within the
				  scope of his or her professional licensure proposes to engage in or perform
				  human experimentation affecting care or treatment. The patient has the right to
				  refuse to participate in such research projects.
(13) Be informed of continuing health care
				  requirements following discharge from the hospital.
(14) Examine and receive an explanation of
				  the bill regardless of source of payment.
(15) Know which hospital rules and policies
				  apply to the patient's conduct while a patient.
(16) Have all patients' rights apply to the
				  person who may have legal responsibility to make decisions regarding medical
				  care on behalf of the patient.
(17)
				  Designate visitors of his/her choosing, if the patient has decision-making
				  capacity, whether or not the visitor is related by blood, marriage, or
				  registered domestic partner status, unless:
(A) No visitors are allowed.
(B) The facility reasonably determines that
				  the presence of a particular visitor would endanger the health or safety of a
				  patient, a member of the health facility staff, or other visitor to the health
				  facility, or would significantly disrupt the operations of the
				  facility.
(C) The patient has
				  indicated to the health facility staff that the patient no longer wants this
				  person to visit.
(18)
				  Have the patient's wishes considered for purposes of determining who may visit
				  if the patient lacks decision-making capacity and to have the method of that
				  consideration disclosed in the hospital policy on visitation. At a minimum, the
				  hospital shall include any person living in the household.
(19) This section may not be construed to
				  prohibit a health facility from otherwise establishing reasonable restrictions
				  upon visitation, including restrictions upon the hours of visitation and number
				  of visitors.