Pennsylvania Code › Title 28 - HEALTH AND SAFETY › Part IV - Health Facilities › Subpart F - Ambulatory Surgical Facilities › Chapter 553 - OWNERSHIP, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT › PATIENT'S BILL OF RIGHTS › Section 553.12 - Implementation

Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 28, July 13, 2024
(a) The ASF
					 governing body shall establish a patient's bill of rights not less in substance
					 and coverage than the minimal patient's bill of rights provided by subsection
					 (b).
(b) The following are minimal
					 provisions for the patient's bill of rights:
(1) A patient has the right to respectful
					 care given by competent personnel.
(2) A patient has the right, upon request, to
					 be given the name of his attending practitioner, the names of all other
					 practitioners directly participating in his care and the names and functions of
					 other health care persons having direct contact with the patient.
(3) A patient has the right to consideration
					 of privacy concerning his own medical care program. Case discussion,
					 consultation, examination and treatment are considered confidential and shall
					 be conducted discreetly.
(4) A
					 patient has the right to have records pertaining to his medical care treated as
					 confidential except as otherwise provided by law or third party contractual
					 arrangements.
(5) A patient has the
					 right to know what ASF rules and regulations apply to his conduct as a
					 patient.
(6) The patient has the
					 right to expect emergency procedures to be implemented without unnecessary
					 delay.
(7) The patient has the
					 right to good quality care and high professional standards that are continually
					 maintained and reviewed.
(8) The
					 patient has the right to full information in layman's terms, concerning
					 diagnosis, treatment and prognosis, including information about alternative
					 treatments and possible complications. When it is not medically advisable to
					 give the information to the patient, the information shall be given on his
					 behalf to the responsible person.
(9) Except for emergencies, the practitioner
					 shall obtain the necessary informed consent prior to the start of a procedure.
					 Informed consent is defined in section 103 of the Health Care Services
					 Malpractice Act (40 P. S. §
													1301.103).
(10) A patient or, if the patient is unable
					 to give informed consent, a responsible person, has the right to be advised
					 when a practitioner is considering the patient as a part of a medical care
					 research program or donor program, and the patient, or responsible person,
					 shall give informed consent prior to actual participation in the program. A
					 patient, or responsible person, may refuse to continue in a program to which he
					 has previously given informed consent.
(11) A patient has the right to refuse drugs
					 or procedures, to the extent permitted by statute, and a practitioner shall
					 inform the patient of the medical consequences of the patient's refusal of
					 drugs or procedures.
(12) A patient
					 has the right to medical and nursing services without discrimination based upon
					 age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, handicap, disability or
					 source of payment.
(13) The patient
					 who does not speak English shall have access, where possible, to an
					 interpreter.
(14) The ASF shall
					 provide the patient, or patient designee, upon request, access to the
					 information contained in his medical records, unless access is specifically
					 restricted by the attending practitioner for medical reasons.
(15) The patient has the right to expect good
					 management techniques to be implemented within the ASF. These techniques shall
					 make effective use of the time of the patient and avoid the personal discomfort
					 of the patient.
(16) When an
					 emergency occurs and a patient is transferred to another facility, the
					 responsible person shall be notified. The institution to which the patient is
					 to be transferred shall be notified prior to the patient's transfer.
(17) The patient has the right to examine and
					 receive a detailed explanation of his bill.
(18) A patient has the right to expect that
					 the ASF will provide information for continuing health care requirements
					 following discharge and the means for meeting them.
(19) A patient has the right to be informed
					 of his rights at the time of admission.