Patient Bill of Rights & Responsibilities

We consider you a partner in your hospital care.  When you are well-informed, participate in treatment decisions, and communicate openly with your doctor and other health professionals, you help make your care as effective as possible.  This hospital encourages respect for the personal preferences and values of each individual.

While you are a patient in the hospital, your rights include the following:

1. You have the right to receive considerate and respectful care with recognition of dignity and comfort in a safe setting.
2. You have the right to be free from abuse, neglect, or harassment.
3. You have the right to be free from restraints of any form that are not medically necessary.
4. You have the right to be well-informed in a language you can understand, by the physician, about your medical condition, treatments, likely outcomes, and to have the right to participate in the Plan of Care.
5. You have the right to formulate an Advance Directive and to consent to or refuse treatment, as permitted by law.
6. You have the right to privacy. The hospital, your doctor, and others caring for you will protect your privacy as much as possible. See Notice of Privacy Practice.
7. You have the right to have a family member or representative and your personal physician notified of admission to the hospital.
8. You have the right to expect that clinical records are confidential unless you have given permission to release information or that medical record information reporting is required or permitted by law.
9. You have the right to review and/or have access to your personal medical records within a reasonable time frame, as permitted by law.
10. You have the right to expect that the hospital will give you necessary health services to the best of its ability. Treatment, referral, or transfer may be recommended.  If transfer is recommended or requested, you will be informed of risks, benefits, and alternatives.
11. You have the right to know if this hospital has relationships with outside parties that may influence your treatment and care.
12. You have the right to be told of realistic care alternatives when hospital care is no longer appropriate.
13. You have the right to know about hospital rules that affect you and your treatment and about charges and payment methods.
14. You have the right to know about hospital resources that are available to help assist you at discharge, or resolve any problems or questions you may have regarding your hospital stay, care or services.
15. You have the right to refuse to participate in experimental treatment or research.

Kane County Hospital serves many purposes to improve people’s health; treat people with injury and disease; educate health professionals, patients, community members; and to improve understanding of health and disease.

Your health depends not just on your hospital care but, in the long term, on the decisions you make in your daily life.  You are responsible for recognizing the effect of life-style on your personal health.

Kane County Hospital encourages you to help make your care as effective as possible by being responsible for the following:

1. You have responsibilities as a patient for providing information about your health, including past illnesses, hospital stays, and use of medicine.
2. Responsible for asking questions when you do not understand information or instructions.
3. Responsible for telling your doctor if you believe you can’t follow through with your treatment.
4. Responsible for being considerate of the needs of other patients, staff and the hospital.
5. Responsible for recognizing the effect of lifestyle on your personal health. Your health depends not just on your hospital care but, in the long term, on the decisions you make in your daily life.