What are my rights as a patient in a hospital?
As a patient in a hospital, you have a whole series of rights that start with privacy and personal dignity. You have the right to express your personal values, beliefs and preferences for your healthcare, the right to be told of any significant events that happened during your stay, the right to know the identity of the people involved in your care. You surely have the right to know when students, residents or other trainees are going to be involved in your hospital care or treatment. You have the right to be cared for in a clean and a save environment, free from abuse or neglect. You have the right to participate fully in the decision making regarding any care or treatment that your physicians are anticipating for you. You have the right to be informed of the benefits and risks of each hospital treatment and whether the treatment is experimental or not. You have the right to receive information about charges for which you will be billed and held responsible. Most importantly, you have the right to receive medical care and services that are not dependent on your ability to pay, but rather on your need.
