Patient Rights and Responsibilities

Patient Rights

Kent Hospital supports the rights of our patients. We post Patient Rights and Responsibilities in all public areas of the hospital. The hospital follows state and national laws to protect patient rights.

 1. Patients have the right to receive care, treatment, and services regardless of their age, sex, race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, culture, language, disability, marital status, education, sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression, income, or who will pay their bill.

2. Patients have the right to be free from mental, physical, sexual, and verbal abuse.

3. Patients have the right not to be neglected or exploited.

4. Patients have the right to hospital care no matter what their age, race, religion, culture, physical or mental ability, gender identity, or ability to pay.

5. Patients have the right to information proper for their age and language.

6. Patients have the right to information in words they can understand. Patients have the right to ask questions.

7. Patients have the right to have information interpreted to their language.

8. Patients have the right to ask for and receive the names of the doctors giving them care.

9. Patients have the right to ask for and receive the names of people giving them care, treatments, tests, and procedures.

10. Patients have the right to information about their health care needs. Patients have the right to make choices about their care. Patients have the right to refuse care.

11. Patients have the right to ask for care.

12. Patients have the right to help to control pain.

13. Patients have the right to ask for pastoral and spiritual care.

14. Patients have the right to know about options and plans to be sent to another location for health care.

15. Patients have the right to ask about what training programs and institutions train students in the hospital. Patients have the right to ask about the students giving them care.

16. Patients have the right to join in talks about their care. This includes giving or withholding care, end of life choices, and taking part in clinical trials and research studies.

17. Patients have the right to know about all research projects and the right to take part or refuse to take part.

18. Patients have the right to talk with a social worker, patient advocate, or bioethics staff.

19. Patients have the right to ask for and receive protection from abuse and neglect.

20. Patients have the right to have a support person with them unless safety or treatments would be compromised.

21. Patients have the right to give another person the legal right to make choices about their medical care. This person is called a surrogate decision-maker or power of attorney for health care. Hospital staff will follow the choices of this person.

22. Patients have the right to visitors, telephone calls, and mail unless it disturbs their health care.

23. Patients have the right to use a portable television that is Underwriters' Laboratory and OSHA compliant.

24. Patients have the right to privacy. Patients have the right to expect their health information and health care to be confidential.

25. Patients have the right to see their medical records. Patients may ask to have health information corrected in their records.

26. Patients have the right to get a copy of their health care record for legal appeal (Social Security Act 42 U.S.C. § 301 et seq.) at no charge. Patients have the right to receive this copy within 30 days of the request.

27. Patients have the right to see hospital rules and regulations about their care.

28. Patients have the right to ask to see their hospital bill and have charges explained.

29. Patients have the right to a medical bill summary within 30 days of discharge. Patients have the right to ask for an itemized bill.

Patient Responsibilities:

1. Patients are responsible to tell the hospital staff correct information about their health needs. They need to tell staff about all medicines, herbs, and drugs they use, all illnesses, and all times they have been in the hospital. Patients need to tell staff about anything that is related to their current problem.

2. Patients are responsible to work with the staff to meet their health care needs.

3. Patients are responsible to ask questions when they do not understand.

4. Patients are responsible to tell their doctor when they have changes in how they feel.

5. Patients are responsible to ask questions about pain and pain management. Patients are responsible to tell staff when they have pain.

6. Patients are responsible to follow their doctor's instructions. This includes taking medicines, following directions, and keeping follow-up appointments.

7. Patients are responsible for their health care choices. This includes the consequences of not following directions or refusing treatment.

8. Patients are responsible to be kind to the staff, other patients, and visitors. Patients are responsible to ask their visitors to respect staff, patients, and other visitors.

9. Patients are responsible to follow the rules about not smoking, noise, and visitor limits.

10. Patients are responsible to respect personal property and hospital property.

11. Patients are responsible for their personal items. We suggest you leave valuables at home or send them home with family.

12. Patients are responsible to pay their hospital bill(s). Patients may request help with billing needs.

13. Patients are responsible to give insurance information to hospital billing staff.

14. Patients are responsible to tell staff about their hospital experience. Let us know when we have done a great job of caring for you.

15. Patients are responsible to tell us when they have a problem with care. Kent Hospital strives to give safe, high-quality care. If you have a concern, tell us, we want to help you with it. Patients may ask their nurse or nurse manager for help.

Patients may call the Rhode Island Department of Health Patient Concern Line at (401) 222-2566.

Patients may contact The Joint Commission at www.jointcommission.org,  email at complaint@jointcommission.org. or telephone at (630) 792-5000 or 1-800-994-6610.